Housing Instability in the Lafayette Community and Beyond

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of housing instability low-income families face and the ways the community can help. The issue is prevalent in the Lafayette community and beyond. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness of housing instability in our community, specifically through the ReStore of Lafayette. The ReStore is run solely on the community’s donations and volunteer work. All proceeds from the store go to building affordable houses for low-income families. My objectives in the research I conducted were to gain a better understanding of how the ReStore goes about eliminating housing instability in the United States and other countries. To do this, I posed this question: How can my volunteering hours at the ReStore help improve the marketing/advertising of their resources and address the housing instability many people face in the Lafayette community and beyond? Through primary and secondary research, I was able to come up with an answer that would be feasible for Purdue students and the Lafayette community. Journaling my thoughts and observations after each volunteer session helped me better reflect on my work and contribution to the housing instability issue of Lafayette. The activity theory is a concept about the flow of community service that I drew upon. This theory helped me visualize the interconnectedness between the community and the Restore. In my results section, I was informed about the ReStore’s current advertising methods and customer demographics. Being an active volunteer is the first step to effective community service. The more volunteers there are, the more awareness on the issue. Moving forward, I feel that more individuals should be aware of housing instability from a young age. More widespread awareness of the housing instability many people face in our community will benefit everyone in the long run.