Homecoming Project for returning prisoners expands to San Francisco

The program — already active in Alameda, West Contra Costa and L.A. counties — matches formerly incarcerated individuals with eligible homeowners who provide a safe living space in exchange for monthly income.

San Francisco — Impact Justice and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office have announced the San Francisco expansion of a successful reentry housing program, the Homecoming Project. The initiative, first launched in Alameda County and later expanded to West Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties, is an innovative six-month program inspired by the sharing economy that provides monthly income to homeowners and eligible hosts with an extra room and an open mind in exchange for opening living space to a person leaving prison.

At least 95% of people in state prisons will eventually be released back to our communities. 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 options are scarce and potentially off-limits to someone with a criminal record. As a result, people returning from prison are 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public.

“The Homecoming Project is a triple win for San Francisco,” said Bernadette Butler, director of the Housing Lab at Impact Justice, which runs the Homecoming Project. “It benefits people returning from incarceration who are trying to rebuild their lives. It benefits people opening their homes, allowing them to make a huge difference and earn income in the process. And it benefits our communities because it makes them stronger and safer.”

“I was initially skeptical,” said host Memi Vaughn, who together with her husband has hosted nearly 20 people through the Homecoming Project. “At the time, I was a single mom, with twins about to go away to Los Angeles for college. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to live with anybody, let alone someone who was formerly incarcerated. [But] the Homecoming Project has been amazing in so many ways. It’s a community that feels like family.” 

“Coming home from prison after a long sentence is a challenge — it’s a hell of a challenge,” said past program participant Marcelino Clemente, who recently lived with Memi in her home. “For anyone who decides to host, they’re doing a huge thing for a person who is in need. For me, the Homecoming Project and Memi gave me the opportunity to move forward.”

The Homecoming Project will work closely with the SF Public Defender’s Office to build a roster of San Francisco residents willing to provide a room for someone re-entering society from prison for a minimum of six months.

“Our office’s Freedom Project — which helps people serving long sentences to get their sentences reduced under the law — has worked with The Homecoming Project for some time,” said elected San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju. “We’re thrilled to partner with Impact Justice to offer this service to our clients who are coming home to San Francisco. But getting the sentence reduced is only one part of the story. We want our clients to succeed and thrive, and when it comes to helping people stabilize and thrive, there really is nothing more fundamental than housing. With a stable, supported home, people can feel safe and start to forge a path forward.”

With more than 200 participants placed thus far, the Homecoming Project has demonstrated enormous promise in the counties where it is active. To date, every participant has finished the six-month program and moved on to housing of their own, 98% have graduated from the program with a job or enrolled in a job training or an educational program, and 0% have returned to prison. But perhaps the most unexpected outcome is the relationships forged between hosts and participants — often going from strangers to family. The $1,550 monthly host stipend creates a new income for households and neighborhoods while participants get a safe, stable base from which to begin rebuilding their lives after incarceration.

The Homecoming Project is currently accepting applications from eligible hosts with an extra bedroom in their homes. For more information, visit  https://impactjustice.org/homecoming-project.

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