SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A program that pairs returning residents with homeowners willing to open spare rooms is expanding to San Francisco in an effort to address one of the most persistent barriers facing people after incarceration: housing.
Impact Justice and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office announced the expansion of The Homecoming Project, a reentry housing program that connects formerly incarcerated individuals with community homeowners who have extra rooms, according to a press release from Impact Justice on Thursday.
According to the release, The Homecoming Project offers a “six-month housing opportunity inspired by the sharing economy,” paying hosts monthly stipends in exchange for providing safe housing to individuals returning from prison. The program, which began in Alameda County, has already expanded to West Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties and now seeks to meet San Francisco’s reentry housing needs.
The press release highlights that 95 percent of people in state prisons will eventually be released, but many face significant housing barriers upon reentry. Impact Justice notes that formerly incarcerated people are “ten times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public,” a disparity that fuels cycles of instability and recidivism.
“The Homecoming Project is a triple win for San Francisco,” said Bernadette Butler, director of the Housing Lab at Impact Justice, in the press release. “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.”
According to the Impact Justice statement, participants in The Homecoming Project are matched with homeowners who receive $1,550 per month to host a formerly incarcerated person for at least six months. Homeowners are vetted through an application process and trained to provide supportive, stable housing environments.
“I was initially skeptical,” said Memi Vaughn, a San Francisco host quoted in the press release. “At the time, I was a single mom with twins about to go away to 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.”
The program not only benefits hosts financially but also provides emotional and social support to people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. According to the press release, past participant Marcelino Clemente described the experience as transformative.
“Coming home from prison after a long sentence is a challenge—it’s a hell of a challenge,” Clemente said. “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.”
Impact Justice stated in the release that the organization will collaborate with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office to recruit hosts and connect them with program participants reentering society. The partnership will operate through the Public Defender’s Freedom Project, which helps clients serving long sentences seek reductions under state law and prepares them for successful reentry.
“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 San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju in the Impact Justice release. “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.”
Impact Justice emphasized that housing stability is the foundation for successful reintegration, noting that with housing, people can “focus on jobs, education, and health care instead of survival.” The organization stressed that this model benefits the broader community by creating safer neighborhoods and reducing reincarceration rates.
The press release reports that, since its inception, The Homecoming Project has supported more than 200 participants, with 98 percent securing employment or educational opportunities and zero participants returning to prison after program completion. The report adds that “perhaps the most unexpected outcome” of the program has been the deep, long-term relationships between hosts and guests—often transforming “from strangers to family.”
Impact Justice describes the project as “a new kind of reentry model,” blending restorative justice principles with economic inclusion. The program provides supplemental income for hosts while addressing one of the greatest barriers to reentry—housing discrimination and exclusion.
Impact Justice and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office are encouraging San Francisco residents with extra bedrooms to apply to host. The press release states that eligible participants can learn more or submit applications at: impactjustice.org/homecoming-project.
As stated in the press release, Butler said, “Our goal is to change the way people think about reentry housing. The Homecoming Project gives returning citizens a second chance and gives communities a way to be part of that change.”
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