Reports

With 500+ partners, we have access to a wealth of data and meaningful information. We work tirelessly to connect meaning to our findings and share them with the policymakers and leaders who can make a difference.

Additional Reports

Since 2015, we have created reports and tools to serve as the framework for our advocacy and efforts as a coalition. Find them all here:

 

What is Homelessness?

Homelessness in Greenville is an ongoing and complex issue. Housing insecurity and homelessness can result from economic issues like unemployment, lack of affordable housing, or insufficient income from low-wage jobs, among other things.  

In many cases, mental health problems or substance abuse play a role, especially with people experiencing chronic homelessness. These and other influences—many of which act as both cause and effect—mean that homelessness and housing concerns in Greenville are braided together.  

Our commitment to safe, affordable homes for everyone means that housing policy must be developed in the context of long-range workforce development and transportation planning as Greenville experiences continued growth across all income levels. 

Our focus on households earning $15,000 or less annually has an imperative of connecting meaningful economic development to land use planning that co-locates jobs, supportive services, and housing opportunities for the region’s long term prosperity. Resources to address homelessness will be leveraged to include federal, state and local dollars.

Stories
Michael

Michael, one of the first residents of Reedy Place, picked out a corner unit because he could look out the window and see Paris Mountain. It was his first home in about 20 years. Before Reedy Place opened near downtown Greenville, Michael was experiencing homelessness and sleeping in the woods.

United Housing Connections established Reedy Place to serve people experiencing chronic homelessness with a serious mental illness. Mental health workers told Michael, who had schizophrenia and was actively using crack cocaine and alcohol, about Reedy Place about two years before it opened. At first, he was skeptical.

Read More →

 

Homeless Definitions

We believe GHA is stronger because we are inclusive of three different federal definitions of homeless. We also believe that it is essential to connect the community to the inclusive definition so that we can create local solutions and not be impacted by the changes at the federal level. 

The Greenville Homeless Alliance defines homelessness as families and individuals who lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence.  

  • Definition used by Greenville County School District  

    The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes doubling-up with family or friends and living in a motel. 

  • Definition used by agencies receiving HHS funding

    A person “who lacks housing.”

  • Definition used by United Housing Connections, Upstate Continuum of Care and all other agencies receiving HUD funding.

    HUD utilized four broad categories of homelessness: People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided.  

    The HUD definition of homelessness doesn't account for families or individuals who have doubled up with friends or family. Further, families or individuals who live in motels, vehicles, or other hidden locations often do not interact with the service agencies or volunteers conducting counts. As a result, 90% of Greenville County School children identified as experiencing homelessness are not eligible for Federal assistance dollars.

Our Strategic Plan 

In May 2020, the Greenville Homeless Alliance Steering Committee adopted the organization’s first strategic plan. The priorities identified in the 2019 Report on Homelessness in Greenville County and information gathered from listening sessions with GHA partners and stakeholders form the foundation for this plan.  

The strategies are aligned by GHA’s primary areas of action – educate, advocate, collaborate, and innovate.

Educate
Raise the collective knowledge about homelessness among partners, stakeholders, and the community.

Advocate
Develop and promote a policy agenda, including public funding strategies, to support the needs identified in the Report on Homelessness.

Collaborate
Convene cross-sector partners to share expertise, perspectives, and resources to support GHA’s common agenda.

Innovate
Collect and report on data, and promote evidence-based pilot initiatives, including funding strategies.

Community Data Initiative

GHA’s definition of homelessness includes a family or individual lacking a regular or adequate nighttime residence. GHA is participating in the Community Data initiative facilitated by GVL NSEM. This team identified local integrated community data as one of the core resources needed to connect youth educational outcomes in Greenville to longer-term workforce opportunities. It was determined that the GHA Data Snapshot 2017 report, generated by Furman University, could serve as a potential early win for this initiative. In 2019, the Upstate Continuum of Care released a report on racial disparities.