25-26 - Connections for the Homeless - Housing Action Corps

The Research Associate will serve with Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, IL from August 2025-2026. Connections for the Homeless (Connections) is part of Housing Action Corps, an AmeriCorps VISTA program managed by Housing Action Illinois since 2010. Housing Action Corps members receive custom training, support, and networking opportunities in housing and community development, in addition to the traditional benefits of AmeriCorps VISTA. Learn more: housingactionil.org/americorps.

Connections serves and catalyzes the community to end homelessness, one person at a time. We cannot fulfill that mission without more affordable housing. A key barrier to developing more affordable housing is resistance to it, often based on lack of knowledge and misinformation. Our advocacy program, Joining Forces for Affordable Housing, is expanding to provide community education across northern Cook County and Lake County. The Research Associate will create a repository of information for Connections to tailor educational activities to different towns based on demographics, housing solutions that could be beneficial, and level of knowledge. By using data to inform our educational activities, the VISTA will increase the number of people Connections can reach and the effectiveness with which we can educate and engage them on housing issues in their communities.

Our ideal candidate is a good researcher and writer, with great curiosity and interest in urban planning. They would have a related degree, experience with accessing census data, and preferably experience doing original academic research and writing in related fields. Experience in communicating data to a wide audience would be a plus! This position offers a $500 monthly housing stipend.