Members serve in a full-time, one-year capacity at housing nonprofits around the state, providing housing services, including homeownership or home repair loan counseling, client intake and assessment, credit and debt management counseling, or homebuyer or homeownership education.
Service Activities
Activities depend on the position. These positions may include activities designed to support clients through the various stages of the homeownership process including counseling to a homeownership ready status through credit or budget sessions, securing required documentation and paperwork, completing loan applications, teaching homeownership education and home maintenance. Members may support clients seeking home repairs through securing required documentation and paperwork, completing loan applications, assessing repair needs, and any counseling required to get clients ready to secure a home repair loan or program services.
Community Need Addressed
Homes for All AmeriCorps is the only housing and homeless AmeriCorps program in Kentucky. Operated by the Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky (HHCK), the focus of the Homes for All program is to create, find, repair, or maintain housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Kentucky has a shortage of affordable housing options for low-income households; 21.4% of homeowners and 67% of extremely low-income renters are severely cost-burdened and pay more than 30% of monthly adjusted gross income on housing costs. Individuals serving in this position will address these critical housing needs by building new homes and repairing existing homes for people experiencing housing insecurity.
Position Outcomes
AmeriCorps members will be responsible for providing services to 2,500 individuals and transitioning at least 1,000 of those individuals into safe, affordable housing.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Training
Education Benefits
GED/High School Diploma
Knowledge of housing and homelessness issues in Kentucky | implicit bias | fair housing | character and leadership | civic engagement | other outcomes related to their specific placement site | professional development through various trainings
Skills you will gain
Public speaking, project management, volunteer management, teamwork, communication, timekeeping, interpersonal relationships, and professional soft skills (emails, Microsoft Office, etc.)
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel
Teamwork
Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment