In Wake County, nearly 1,000 individuals are experiencing homelessness every day and an additional 41% of households are considered cost-burdened, spending 30% or more of their family’s monthly budget on their homes. 

For the individuals and families enduring that experience, there are nonprofit organizations working around the clock to provide temporary shelter and long-term solutions. And behind those organizations? That’s where the Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End Homelessness – a coalition of community partner organizations in Wake County — works their magic. 

In its simplest form, the Partnership leverages the power of community to address systemic causes of homelessness through coordinated response, education, data, and advocacy. One of its primary roles is to serve as the Lead Agency of the Wake County Continuum of Care (CoC), a board-governed local planning group that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. 

For the individuals forced to navigate the complex housing systems, it’s very helpful to have professionals like those from the Partnership on their side. It’s even more helpful when the Partnership has more funds to spend on the solutions that are desperately needed. 

Thankfully, there’s some good news: Wake County Continuum of Care recently received a 22% increase in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing with access to supportive services, with the overarching goal of long-term stability. 

The Partnership has a lot to do with the increase in funds. During the application process, their team provided guidance to organizations on how to align HUD funding priorities with local CoC priorities on funding applications. 

“This is the first significant increase in CoC Competition funding for Wake County CoC in over 5 years. We are moving the needle for making homelessness in Wake County rare, brief, and nonrecurring,” said Kim Crawford, Executive Director of the Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End Homelessness. 

In total, the Partnership is celebrating $4,117,066 in funds awarded through 13 grants to six Wake County agencies committed to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and on the path to long-term sustainability. Passage Home, CASA, and InterAct – three of United Way’s nonprofit partners – also received grants through this award. For more information, visit the Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End Homelessness website.