The Homecoming Project
Finding a better way home.
Before formerly incarcerated people can find jobs, address health problems, or learn new skills, they first need a safe and stable place to live. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against people leaving prison: many have no home to return to, and they face a housing market where affordable housing is scarce and potentially off-limits to someone with a criminal record. Our systems set returning citizens up to fail, at the very moment they need a warm welcome home.
Impact Justice’s Housing Lab looked at the growth of the sharing economy and saw a promising framework that could be creatively adapted to meet this need. The Homecoming Project is a first-of-its-kind model that matches people recently released from prison with homeowners (eligible hosts) to provide safe and stable housing in the community. It’s a win-win: hosts receive a stipend, funneling additional income into communities who need it the most. Returnees are provided a safe, stable, and welcoming environment in which to begin to rebuild their lives.