Homelessness is a bigger problem than any one agency or government entity can solve. It is time to try a different way. A collective way.
The Greenville Homeless Alliance works as a collective to educate the community, advocate for change, and find innovative solutions to help end homelessness across Greenville County.
Our mission is to strengthen partnerships and broaden support in order to increase options for individuals or families who are experiencing homelessness and who are seeking stability and a safe, affordable home in Greenville County.
Learn about GHA’s vIsion for Greenville County.
Our Vision
We believe in a Greenville County without homelessness, where there are safe, affordable homes for everyone.
Charged with looking for sustainable solutions to homelessness, we educate, advocate, collaborate, and innovate with policymakers and the community.
Our Values
Equity
We strive to recognize and dismantle biases and discrimination in ourselves, our organizations, and our community. Fair access to safe and affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness benefits everyone. Read our statement on Race, Equity, and Inclusion.
Integrity
We do what we say we’re going to do. We treat individuals and organizations with respect, and we work to build and strengthen mutually trusting relationships.
Inclusiveness
We recognize that everyone is part of the solution, and everyone can contribute if engaged, informed, and mobilized. We know that our strength is in our diversity, and we honor the value of every human being.
Pragmatism
We take a clear-eyed look at both short-term and long-term goals, striving for the best outcomes. Homelessness is complex, as is supporting the wide range of stakeholders.
Courage
We don’t shy away from difficult conversations, because we know that acknowledging and exploring differences is the only way to gain consensus. We aspire to be a collective voice for people experiencing homelessness and for those working to eliminate homelessness.
Our Approach
Greenville is a place of action. However, one person or even one organization cannot solve homelessness.
Homelessness is a bigger problem than any one agency or government entity can solve.
We exist to advocate for relationships, services, housing, and policies to help those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, educate the public, identify innovative solutions, and convene collaborative partners across Greenville County.
Our Collective Impact
GHA utilizes a common agenda, common progress measures, coordination of mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication and support of the partnership through a host organization to achieve a collective impact. United Ministries is the host organization. The Community Foundation of Greenville is the fiscal agent.
Educate
We know that to truly impact homelessness, we have to change what our community knows about it. From serving as a communication point for concerns and the generation of local solutions for areas like the Homeless Triangle, to providing interactive sessions for students, business owners, and our faith community, GHA offers education to equip people with compassionate tools and best practice to end homelessness. Our Educate Working Group is raising the collective knowledge among partners, stakeholders, and the community. Discover examples of how we are educating through our Homeless Court video. Meet Walter and Janet in this video and learn about permanent supportive housing.
Collaborate
We convene cross-sector partners to leverage expertise, perspectives, and resources to support a common agenda. See our 2023 Impact Report.
Advocate
We are a collective voice for people experiencing homelessness and for those working to eliminate homelessness. Our advocacy agenda supports the priorities identified from research. To strengthen our collective voice, the Advocate Working Group developed the Advocacy Training Academy and launched a first cohort in October 2021.
Innovate
We approach homelessness with innovation and ingenuity, developing unique solutions for complex problems surrounding housing insecurity. Together, we are raising awareness about complex solutions and piloting new ideas like the New Lease on Life and 2021 Response to the Economy Inn.
Take Five
We know more than 4,500 individuals are homeless in Greenville County from the most recent data in 2023 - 24. But we also know numbers are sometimes hard to process.
Take five to look at homelessness and housing insecurity from a different lens:
Second graders are sitting in class today in Greenville wondering where they are going to sleep tonight. Could you focus on your work?
Those same students may be taught by teachers facing rent payments higher than their monthly salary to live in a safe, secure location. Affordable housing is often inaccessible even for “white collar” professions like teaching.
If an individual is able to find housing, they may have limited transportation and rely on walking or cycling, often over long distances and crossing dangerous intersections to get to their job or school.
Emergency shelters operate at full capacity almost all of the time because the community lacks the housing options to exit. Those suddenly thrust into homelessness, even temporarily, do not have a safe place to go.
Panhandling compounds homelessness and keeps our Greenville citizens stuck in the cycle longer. Misguided generosity actually does more harm than good.
Undesignated gifts support the transformative efforts to ignite change to tackle the inconceivably complex challenge of homelessness.
With your help, there is so much we can do.
Your tax-deductible donation is processed by the Community Foundation of Greenville who serves as the fiscal agent for GHA.