Maggie Walker Community Land Trust Housing Eligibility Strategist AmeriCorps VISTA - Richmond, VA

AmeriCorps VISTA

AmeriCorps VISTA was founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 as a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty in America. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). AmeriCorps VISTA Members make a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. They focus their efforts to build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, and otherwise assist low-income communities.

Virginia Housing Alliance VISTA Project

Virginia Housing Alliance’s (VHA) VISTA project is a statewide project that works to expand affordable housing opportunities and end homelessness throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. VHA’s VISTA project aims to develop viable communities by promoting integrated approaches that provide decent housing, suitable living environments, and expansive economic opportunities for low and moderate-income persons. The VHA VISTA project provides the human capital necessary to deliver on the ground support to agencies developing, providing, or otherwise supporting homeless response systems and expanding affordable housing. VISTA Members will be placed in 17 agencies across the state, providing key leadership, guidance, and direction to help VHA’s local partners achieve greater impact for their clients.

Community Land Trust Housing Eligibility Specialist VISTA, Maggie Walker Community Land Trust (MWCLT)

Maggie Walker Community Land Trust (MWCLT) seeks to develop and maintain permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for low and moderate-income households. Using the Community Land Trust (CLT) model, MWCLT creates single-family homes that are sold to qualified buyers while retaining ownership of the land beneath the houses. One of MWCLT’s goals is to strengthen their programs to address racial inequities in homeownership. To support this goal, they have developed and launched a number of pilot programs and creative partnerships with local Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and nonprofits to widen their reach. MWCLT is looking for a motivated individual to serve as the Housing Eligibility VISTA member to focus on enhancing MWCLT’s homeownership program by evaluating and improving upon current processes in order to increase participation and ensure equitability. Data-centered activities include integrating the homeownership application, as well as other forms, with MWCLT’s front-facing website and their internal Salesforce software, improving their ability to streamline data. The VISTA will also research best practices for Community Land Trusts and improve public participation of the Richmond Land Bank, a program that expands affordable housing by inviting applicants to develop affordable housing on Land Bank-owned properties, through targeted outreach strategies.

Member Duties : The VISTA will focus on enhancing the homeownership program by improving data collection, analysis, and data management systems. This also includes evaluating current processes to address barriers in homeownership. Utilizing existing data, the VISTA will create reports and visualizations that support and inform staff in the decision making process. The VISTA will also collaborate with the MWCLT team in identifying new funding streams, partners, and creating outreach campaigns strategically focused on increasing awareness of the CLT model as a road to homeownership. The VISTA will work to gain proficiency in Salesforce HomeKeeper, MWCLT’s data management platform, with a goal of improving the database, creating automated actions as necessary, and critically thinking through the way data can be collected and used to further advance their mission.

All Applicants must apply via the AmeriCorps portal: MWCLT AmeriCorps Link

Program Benefits : Childcare assistance if eligible, Training , Health Coverage*, Living Allowance, Relocation Allowance, Choice of Education Award ($7,395) or $1,800 End of Service Stipend; housing stipend

Terms : Car recommended. 

Service Areas : Community and Economic Development , Housing , Homelessness. 

Skills : Social Services , Education , Communications, Fund raising/Grant Writing, Non-Profit Management, Urban Planning, Writing/Editing, Team Work, Community Organization, General Skills, Recruitment.