Housing, not Homeless

To be honest at first I was unsure if AmeriCorps or
Community Housing Network was right for me.
The idea of going to the same office and completing the same tasks
everyday was not one I had experienced before and was not something that I was
looking forward to doing, and housing was not something that I had some sort of
burning passion for. But after about I
week I realized that I was in the right place.
Here I was able to make a real tangible difference in people’s lives,
and my coworkers (both AmeriCorps and otherwise) enthusiasm for their work was
infectious.
My service with CHN is broken down into two basic
categories. One is Getting My Own
Address, which is a program aimed at getting families with autistic individuals
to both plan for, and achieve housing.
That entails helping to run a support group for parents and going to
various school and community functions to give presentations and help raise
awareness on the issue. The second is helping any individuals with mental or
physical disabilities to find a housing solution that works for them.
With Getting My Own Address I have been able to see the
effects of my work in the community immediately. While the first meeting was sparsely attended
which caused me to worry just a little, ever since then we have seen greater
and greater interest and increased rates of participation at our support group
meetings held on site. As word has grown
so has our outreach, and for the next several weeks we have at least one
speaking engagement outside of the office planned all over the county to help
families with autism plan their future.
Being at the beginning of a project like this is always exciting, and
while I do not know what the future brings or how we will grow it is satisfying
to know that I was there helping it along.
The second part of my service is more creative and sadly
more frustrating. Housing for people with disabilities is not
always easy to find, and it was at least surprising to me how little of it
seems to exist. It allows me to pursue unorthodox
angles in the housing world and talk to developers and real estate agents about
emerging trends in areas like micro housing. I also get the opportunity to try
and change their minds about renting in leaving behind the old and outdated
notions of exclusion in housing to new ideas based around inclusion. The process
is rarely perfect and there has been more than a few false starts or sudden
stops (and one case of what I am pretty sure was discrimination), but making
that housing dream a reality is something that I don’t think I will ever get
tired of.
So there is not more in which I can add other then I have really
enjoyed my time making a difference with AmeriCorps and Community Housing
Network.