Our History
Under the direction of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the non-profit National Alliance to End Homelessness, many communities across the nation are having success in reducing homelessness by developing and implementing a business plan approach with strategies, benchmarks and budgets. With support from the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and the Greensboro and High Point City Councils, Guilford County became the 210th community nationwide to commit to develop a Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. On June 4, 2007, the comprehensive Ten Year Plan, aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents of Guilford County by ending chronic homelessness and reducing all other types of homelessness by 2016, was unveiled to the public.
In August of 2009, recognizing that partnership is the best way to reduce and prevent homelessness, the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County and the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative began exploring the possibility of a strategic alliance. After five months of researching national best practices, exploring Guilford County's needs, resources, and current efforts to address homelessness, a structured alliance task force comprised of members of both groups proposed the creation of new non-profit, Partners Ending Homelessness, which would focus on ending homelessness and strengthening our system of care.
The establishment of Partners Ending Homelessness is the result of the consolidation of the two groups: the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Guilford County (the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative) and the Guilford County Continuum of Care (the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County, already a 501(c)(3) agency). Its creation was motivated by the desire to achieve one coordinated effort with one voice, increase advocacy and education about the issue of homelessness, consolidate efforts to increase resources for ending homelessness in Guilford County and improve the efficiency and accountability of services while providing administrative oversight of efforts to end homelessness.
