Housing Action Corps
Strengthening communities through service.
Each year, we connect AmeriCorps members with community organizations to address local challenges with local solutions. Housing Action Corps helps organizations in our coalition launch new projects and expand their programs while providing professional development for the next generation of housing justice leaders.
National Service with Housing Action Illinois
Since 2010, Housing Action Corps (formerly known as Housing Action AmeriCorps Network) has paired hundreds of AmeriCorps members with organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides opportunities for people to lead anti-poverty projects and build the capacity of community-based organizations. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program take on a variety of roles at their host organizations; they expand the scale of programs and services, launch new projects, and increase available resources, such as volunteers, donations, and grants.
We typically manage a network of 30 full-year AmeriCorps members and 30 AmeriCorps Summer Associates each year. AmeriCorps members serve at their host organizations for a 12-month term or for 8-10 weeks as a Summer Associate. Note: the AmeriCorps Summer Associate program will not be offered in 2024 due to federal budget restrictions.
Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps or becoming a host site on the pages below.
Serve with Housing Action Corps
Host a Housing Action Corps Member
Join Housing Action Corps
We are accepting applications to serve as a Housing Action Corps member in 2025-2026. Learn more by using the toggles below and view open AmeriCorps positions »
Applications for 2025-2026 Housing Action Corps host sites are closed. We will reopen host site applications in winter 2025 to host Housing Action Corps members serving August 2026-2027.
Apply to Serve
Apply now for 2025-2026 Housing Action Corps positions. Housing Action Corps members dedicate a year of full-time AmeriCorps VISTA service to projects that build organizational capacity, advance housing opportunities, and strengthen communities. Members serve with their host sites from August 2025 to August 2026.
Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps »
The AmeriCorps VISTA Program is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Most Housing Action Corps positions are located in Illinois, but AmeriCorps members serving in our Housing Counseling Corps can be matched with housing counseling agencies nationwide.
Apply to Host
Applications for 2025-2026 Housing Action Corps host sites are closed. We will reopen host site applications in winter 2025 for Housing Action Corps members serving August 2026-2027.
Learn more about becoming a host site »
The AmeriCorps VISTA Program is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Most Housing Action Corps positions are located in Illinois, but AmeriCorps members serving in our Housing Counseling Corps can be matched with housing counseling agencies nationwide.
Housing Action Corps Initiatives
Housing Counseling Corps is an initiative of Housing Action Corps that aims to build the capacity of housing counseling programs and establish a path for AmeriCorps members to become HUD-Certified housing counselors. Housing Counseling Corps members serve with housing counseling agencies in Illinois and throughout the United States.
About Housing Counseling Corps
Housing counseling programs are crucial in combating the affordable housing crisis, but due to a nationwide shortage of HUD-certified housing counselors, agencies are struggling to meet community needs. In 2021, we piloted a new initiative of Housing Action Corps—Housing Counseling Corps—to build the capacity of housing counseling programs and establish a pipeline of HUD-certified housing counselors to help more people secure safe and affordable homes. After launching the initiative in Illinois, we expanded Housing Counseling Corps to match AmeriCorps members with organizations nationwide in 2023.
AmeriCorps members in Housing Counseling Corps spend a full service year learning about the housing counseling profession, becoming familiar with the specific programs and client needs of a housing counseling agency, and preparing for and taking the HUD Housing Counseling Certification Exam. After their service, members are well-positioned to begin a job as a HUD-certified housing counselor at their host site or another housing counseling agency.
Housing Action facilitates housing counseling trainings nationwide and provides critical support and resources to housing counseling agencies throughout the Midwest as a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Intermediary. Housing Counseling Corps leverages the expertise and resources of our Capacity Building team and our Housing Action Corps to fortify the housing counseling workforce in Illinois and throughout the United States. Learn more about becoming a Housing Counselor »
Interested in joining Housing Counseling Corps or hosting a Housing Counseling Corps member at your agency? Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps or becoming a host site.
More About Our Network
Ahead of the Curve
In 2021, we published the findings from our survey of 169 AmeriCorps VISTA alumni who served in our network over the course of a decade (2010–2020). The findings show that a year of service can pave the way for a nonprofit career, help make a difference in your community, and be a meaningful way to learn about housing and homelessness.
%
secured their next step within 6 months of finishing service (national average is 67%)
%
believe or strongly believe their experience as a VISTA was worthwhile
%
were offered staff positions by their host sites (national average is 20%)
Recent Accomplishments
In fall 2023, we placed 30 full-year AmeriCorps VISTA members with host organizations around Illinois and in 6 states nationwide to strengthen communities and build the capacity of our coalition. In 2023-2024, Housing Action Corps members collectively:
- Raised $1,282,488 in grants, cash, and in-kind donations
- Recruited or managed 4,071 volunteers
- Helped develop, repair, and make available 626 housing units
- Connected 15,390 households with housing services
These numbers only tell part of the story—there are many other ways in which our AmeriCorps members build capacity for their host organizations while growing their professional development. See below for spotlights on individual members and alumni.
Life After VISTA: Working at HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing
Fresh out of graduate school and wanting to pursue a totally new career, I had an idea of what I wanted to do professionally, but I just was not sure of the proper steps to achieve my goals. I did not want to rush into a job just for financial gain; I wanted to do...
Measuring the Magnitude of Homelessness
Back to main blog page » Nearly fifty volunteers assembled on Chicago’s West Side to kick off their participation in the 2017 Point-In-Time (PIT) count. I arrived promptly at 8 p.m. with a large cup of coffee and took a seat with three others. Together, we were at...
The Power of Storytelling
Back to main blog page » Making my way into the back of a bar off of Damen into a very crowded room, I waited for Story Lab to start. I found out about this storytelling event while researching how to find storytellers for the advocacy program I coordinate called...
Life After VISTA: “My experience as a VISTA continues to serve me well” while working for HUD
Back to main blog page » A passionate fair and affordable housing advocate for years, I became a VISTA for several reasons. My long term goal was to use my past housing programs experience and knowledge of federal grants to gain employment with the Department of...
Housing is a Human Right: Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing
Housing instability is not merely a symptom of poverty; as illustrated by Matthew Desmond’s 2016 book Evicted, it is a cause. Over 60% of Chicago’s housing stock is rental units, and in 2016 there were upwards of 25,000 evictions filed in the city. The unstable nature...
Project Spotlight: How can you make your event or meeting accessible and inclusive?
Back to main blog page » As part of her work as a VISTA with Access Living, Tierra Finley developed a checklist to help event and meeting organizers ensure that their gathering is accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. Check out the...