About GHA — Greenville Homeless Alliance

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.

That’s where we come in.

Our mission is to strengthen and broaden support in an effort to increase options for individuals or families who are experiencing homelessness 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.

In other words, we’re activating the right people to ignite real change.

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.

It is time to try a different way. A collective way.

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. We are here to Educate, Advocate, Collaborate, and Innovate.

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.

Learn More About Our Partners

Advocate
We are a collective voice for people experiencing homelessness and for those working to eliminate homelessness. Our advocacy agenda supports the priorities identified in the 2019 & 2021 Report on Homelessness. To strengthen our collective voice, the Advocate Working Group developed the Advocacy Training Academy and launched a first cohort in October 2021.

Get Involved

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.

Stories

Catalina

Catalina, a single mother of two, took a $10,000-a-year pay cut to make ends meet. Catalina, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, worked as a human services specialist at the Department of Social Services interviewing applicants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family Program.

After a relationship with her daughter’s father ended and she moved to Greenville, she discovered that her salary was not enough to pay for childcare for the toddler, an after-school program for her then 12-year-old son, transportation to work, and a place to live, yet was too high to qualify for government assistance.

Our History

Featured

The GHA formed as a partnership that included City and County government in response to an acute increase in homeless individuals drawn to an area of Greenville that became known as “Tent City.”

The Homelessness White Paper outlined a plan to increase local housing options for homeless individuals and established priorities for advocacy.

The coalition began conducting a thorough data scan to establish benchmarks and goals. They also established a coalition structure and projects to propel momentum.

GHA officially becomes collective impact initiative with support from local philanthropy.

United Ministries was chosen as the host organization.

GHA Data Snapshot 2017 report, generated by Furman University, was completed as an early win.

GHA Coordinator hired completing the first of five priorities in the 2015 Homelessness White Paper.

Cross-sector Steering Committee selected.

GHA completes the Motel Displacement Response Plan and receives unanimous support from Greenville City and County Council.

Medical Respite pilot launched as a public private partnership between New Horizon Family Health Services and Miracle Hill Ministries from the Homelessness White Paper fulfilling the second of five priorities.

United Housing Connections and SEARCHLight launched a capital campaign to build 36 units of permanent supportive housing fulfilling the third of five priorities.

GHA held listening session with more than 100 partners and stakeholders. The 2019 Report on Homelesness was released and the GHA Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Day was established with a joint proclamation by the Mayor of the City of Greenville and Chair of Greenville County County Council.

Steering Committee releases Strategic Plan based on 2019 Report on Homelessnesss.

Celebrated anniversary of GHA Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Day with Community Forums.

Completed New Lease on Life pilot with community partners fulfilling 5th priority in 2015 Homelessness White Paper

Launched Working Groups to implement Strategic Plan.

GHA Steering Committee wrote and adopted REDI statement.

GHA led successful implementation of the Motel Displacement Plan after Economy Inn was condemned.

Updated Report on Homelessness released and shared with policymakers in all six municipalities, Greenville County Council, and Greenville County Schools Trustees.

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.

Stories

Fred

Fred lost count of how many times he had been in and out of prison, but as he sat in a cell at Allendale Correctional Institution serving a sentence for distribution of crack cocaine in late 2017, he decided he was never going back.

While he was still in prison, he interviewed with Soteria Community Development Corporation, a Greenville nonprofit that focuses on helping men who have been incarcerated successfully re-enter the community.