Homeless Resources

As a member of the Spartanburg Homeless Taskforce, it is our duty to invest in a wide range of tactics to address homelessness. Our goal is to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring and we work with a variety of community partners as a part of the Spartanburg Homeless Taskforce to provide resources and support to individuals experiencing homelessness.

CHALLENGE FOR CHANGE

Challenge for Change is an initiative through the Spartanburg Homeless Taskforce partnership with the goal of challenging Spartanburg residents and businesses to change their responses to homelessness in our community. Through education, awareness, and changing how we volunteer and give, the Challenge for Change strives to effectively utilize our community resources to help individuals who need it most. Challenge for Change is the primary collaborative resource in Spartanburg for individuals and companies who want to learn more, donate funds, or volunteer time. Learn more about the Challenge for Change by clicking here.

Homeless Court

The City of Spartanburg Homeless Court is a voluntary program created to help individuals who are either currently homeless or homeless at the time they were charged with a criminal offense that falls within the criteria for Homeless Court participation. The purpose of the Homeless Court is to encourage participants to receive and complete treatment and rehabilitation programs in exchange for the dismissal of the fines associated with a criminal offense and, in some cases, the dismissal of an offense.

Litter Heroes

The Litter Hero Program is a 90-day pilot created by the City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg County, and a wide range of homeless service providers that will employ up to four individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability as part of a litter crew working in Spartanburg County. Participants will be considered employees, reporting to work in the mornings to engage in case management and life skills training as assigned prior to heading to the work site. This pilot program was initiated as an innovative means of helping address a noticeable increase in litter throughout Spartanburg County and in order to provide an innovative path toward sustainable employment opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Check out our program flyer here. 

h.e.a.r.t.

The City of Spartanburg, in acknowledging the rise in the presence and complexity of homelessness and the ongoing challenges that arise with it within the past few years, is taking the opportunity to create the Homeless Engagement And Response Team (HEART). Launching on March 21, 2022, in collaboration with our service providers to support and respond to all the increasing needs of our unsheltered residents as well as the increasing concerns from community leaders and stakeholders, HEART hopes to address the needs of those living, working, residing, and/or experiencing homelessness in the Spartanburg community.

This team will operate with the following goals in mind: To reduce the number of homelessness by 10%, to successfully refer at least 75% of our homeless residents to resources within Spartanburg, and to engage in at least 12 educational opportunities with the community within the next year. In order to do this, HEART will consist of service providers, City of Spartanburg staff, and members of the Spartanburg Police Department, including no more than four members at a time.

For more information about H.E.A.R.T., or to report issues associated with homelessness that are non-emergency, please email HEART@cityofspartanburg.org.