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Home Homes for Service
Homes for Service

Welcome to the Homes for Service program! Housing is the most common deterrent to becoming a full-time AmeriCorps volunteer in the Bay Area. New signups face two main hurdles when it comes to housing:

  1. Finding Housing. Many AmeriCorps volunteers come from out of state. Almost all of them must find housing before they arrive in their new community. Craigslist ads are extremely competitive, and other options are few and far between.

  2. Affording Housing. With a $900 monthly income, even once volunteers find a place to live in the Bay Area they often have trouble affording it. On top of rent, the costs of furnishing a new home--furniture, spoons, and more--add up fast.
Flier

How Can I Help?

We're glad you asked! We are looking for two things (and you might have guessed what they are already from the above info): affordable home furnishings and affordable housing. On the home furnishings front, we're looking for all those items that everybody needs when they move: a bed, couch, tables, chairs, cookware, microwaves, and other appliances and furniture. Free and low cost items of this sort are of huge help to your local AmeriCorps volunteers. You can post items for FREE (and without registering) on our online classifieds. 

On the affordable housing front, we're looking for community-minded Bay Area folks who can offer long or short-term affordable housing. You can post available housing in our free online classifieds. Read what this "Homes for Service" thing is all about below (and feel free to ask us questions too).

What does a Housing Host Do?

You care about the sick, the poor, the homeless in the Bay Area. You don't just wish that you could better your community, you're ready to do something about it. You're an AmeriCorps Housing Host. AmeriCorps Housing Hosts are Bay Area residents who provide very low cost or free housing to an AmeriCorps member. We're looking for a range of affordable housing, with rent of less than $400/month. If you can offer something like this, please post it on our online classifieds:
  • Discounted rent on an apartment
  • Inexpensive room rental in your home or attached in-law apartment
  • An offer to accept house sitting rather than rent
  • Free room in your home for a one or two month period
  • Companionship for an elderly relative

 Why it's Good for You

  • AmeriCorps volunteers can help with occasional chores such as lawn mowing or pet care
  • Volunteers provide their own transportation, purchase their own food, and can share in household expenses
  • Volunteers provide the added security of another adult in the home of a single parent or a senior citizen living alone
  • You improve your community by providing essential assistance to a full-time poverty fighter

Ready to Provide Home Furnishings or Become a Housing Host?


So you've read all about us and are ready to offer some assistance to the volunteers working to strengthen your community. Fantastic! You can post your housing and housewares (furniture, kitchenware, etc) on our FREE online classifieds. There's no need to register and posting is free. We want to make it easy on you to help our community workers-- please email us with any questions.
 

Homes for Service FAQ

How Much Should I Charge For Rent?

We're not gonna be looking over your shoulder, but the answer is, "Charge as little as you feel comfortable with." The AmeriCorps volunteer will be making about $900 per month before taxes. This must pay for all living expenses-- food, clothes, transportation, and others costs.

Bottom line, we'd rather you offer your housing to AmeriCorps volunteers than not. So if you have to charge two, three, or four hundred dollars per month, that's OK. You might consider requiring your volunteer do extra house chores to lower these costs. If you can offer the place for less to these poverty fighters your community will benefit, and we'll love you forever.

Hey! Who's in Charge Here?

Homes for Service is an informal, volunteer resource service that gives community-minded citizens the opportunity to provide housing for free or at a reduced rate for AmeriCorps members.

Because hosting an AmeriCorps member is strictly on a volunteer basis, and because AmeriCorps members are adults totally responsible for their own housing arrangements, the responsibility for the suitability of individual host homes falls on the Host and AmeriCorps volunteer to be hosted.

The final decision to share a home is the responsibility of the individual host and the AmeriCorps volunteer. Both parties are encouraged to interview host homes and to ask for references to determine the quality and appropriateness of these volunteer housing opportunities.

Can I Set the Terms as the Host?

To a large extent, "Yes, you can!" You determine:
  • The period of time the offer is valid (start and expiration)
  • How long the volunteer can stay with you (one month, three months, one year, etc)
  • What the housing arrangement is (a room, an attached apartment, a regular apartment)
  • If housing is shared, what privileges the volunteer will have (kitchen, TV, laundry, etc)
  • How much, if any, rent will be charged and what is covered (utilities, garbage parking, etc)
  • Whether the volunteer will be asked to assist with any household chores
  • Which volunteer -- if any -- you want to Host.

Is This Applicant a Real Bay Area AmeriCorps Volunteer?

LBJYou can be sure that the person applying for your AmeriCorps housing is a real live, poverty fighting AmeriCorps volunteer. Just take a look at their card. Only members of the SF Bay AmeriCorps Community can receive the membership card, and only currently serving AmeriCorps volunteers can join. Click the card to see what it looks like front and back.

AmeriCorps Door

Members get to use the CorpsBoard, Calendar, and membership card.

Recent CorpsBoard

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Re:If you can help me w/SF housing....
by ezlevin 2008/05/20 22:37