Get Involved

HOST

Housing Options for Students Today

An innovative non-profit preventing homelessness for college students.

Three women wearing matching gray T-shirts with the text 'HOST' and a house logo, standing indoors in front of a whiteboard with yellow sticky notes, smiling and making peace signs. Two women are wearing black masks, and one woman has glasses and is smiling without a mask.
An outdoor event with a tent and tables set up on grass, promoting a nonprofit organization called HOST which supports housing options for college students. People are walking around in the background near a modern building on a sunny day.

Every college student deserves an opportunity to thrive. Every graduate is an asset to our community.

   HOST is a community-engaged strategy to address housing needs without costly emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. HOST requires no infrastructure investment, making it highly cost-efficient.

   A group of students, experts, & advocates devoted two years to planning and launching HOST, a program based on best-practice host home models.

   HOST matches students who need short-term housing with hosts who provide a safe, private, affirming space in their home. Volunteer hosts are vetted and receive ongoing support to ensure access to resources and training in boundary-setting, managing expectations, conflict mediation, & cultural humility. Students prepare for long-term stable housing with support from a caring case manager advocate.

   HOST was designed with the support of Point Source Youth, a national leader in solutions to youth homelessness with proven results, and it’s the first host home program specifically for college students in the U.S.

A smiling woman wearing red glasses and a blue outfit stands next to a quote that reads, "If you don't have a place to lay your head, how can you focus on doing well in school?" The quote is attributed to Dr. Vonda Easterling, a HOST Board Member. The background of the quote features a dark blue and black abstract design.

Mission

To prevent college student homelessness by providing temporary safe and stable housing in the homes of local hosts and assisting students to exit the host home into permanent housing

Vision

HOST’s vision is that every college student in Wake County NC is safely and stably housed while they pursue their academic goals

“The program is kind of a unique solution
to college-student homelessness. As far
as we know, this is the only host home
program specifically for college students”
— Dr. Mary Hasket | Co-Chair of the NC State Steering Committee on Student Food and Housing Security
Three women around a kitchen counter with wine bottles, glasses, and appetizers, enjoying conversation and laughter.