GHA Housing Navigator

In 2023, GHA partnered with the Piedmont Health Foundation to hire DeAndra “DJ” Wilson as GHA’s Housing Navigator for Greenville County.

The Housing Navigator is leading a pilot From January 2024 - December 2026 that focuses on creating a bridge between Housing Providers and Frontline Service Providers working with people experiencing chronic homelessness. This pilot seeks to explore what innovative and flexible practices can transform how our community connects people who have experienced chronic homelessness to stable homes with ongoing supportive services by the referring agency, ultimately improving their overall health outcomes.

DeAndra “DJ” Hillman

Connecting Greenville County

  • Housing Provider

    Organizations or individuals who rent or manage a property.

  • Housing Navigator

    DeAndra Wilson connects Housing Providers and Frontline Service Providers who work with people experiencing chronic homelessness. The GVL iGNITE Fund supports the collective work as a final missing piece to stability. The Housing Navigator also oversees a centralized list of affordable housing options.

  • Frontline Service Provider

    Professionals who work directly with clients experiencing homelessness. For this pilot, we are partnering with frontline service providers working with people experiencing chronic homelessness.

The Housing Navigator does not provide direct service to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.  If you need housing assistance, please access our GET HELP one-pager or our Online Resource Guide to connect with one of our GHA Partner organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • • Housing Providers - both existing and new to build relationships and increase housing options available to frontline service providers working with people experiencing chronic homelessness.

    • Frontline Service Providers – for the pilot initiative, the Housing Navigator is working specifically with the frontline service providers that participate in weekly meetings* at Triune Mercy Center and serve people experiencing chronic homelessness. This creates a controlled group and process that will allow us to test specific methods for connecting frontline providers to housing providers and measure the impact of connecting people experiencing chronic homelessness with housing.

    *Miracle Hill Ministries, Triune Mercy Center, United Ministries, Pendleton Place, United Housing Connections, New Horizon Family Health Services, Greater Greenville Mental Health, Bon Secours St. Francis, Mother Theresa House, and St. Anthony Padua Catholic Church, Project Care, and The Salvation Army of Greenville County.

    **The Housing Navigator does not provide direct service to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. If you need housing assistance, please access our GET HELP one-pager or our Online Resource Guide to connect with one of our GHA Partner organizations.

  • The Housing Navigator is leading a pilot rom 2024 - 2026 that focuses on building relationships with housing providers (organizations or individuals who rent or manage a property) to increase housing options available to frontline service providers* working with people experiencing chronic homelessness.

    Monthly, she updates a centralized database of affordable housing options in Greenville County.

    For the pilot initiative, the Housing Navigator is working specifically with the frontline service providers that participate in Coffee Club * and serve people experiencing chronic homelessness.

    *Miracle Hill Ministries, Triune Mercy Center, United Ministries, Pendleton Place, United Housing Connections, New Horizon Family Health Services, Greater Greenville Mental Health, Bon Secours St. Francis, Mother Theresa House, and St. Anthony Padua Catholic Church, Project Care, and The Salvation Army of Greenville County.

  • Neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness are some of our most vulnerable, rely heavily on community resources, and are often least equipped to find stable housing on their own. Chronic homelessness is defined as an individual experiencing homelessness for one year or longer and diagnosed with a disability. This pilot seeks to identify a process that would increase options for collectively connecting people who have experienced chronic homelessness to housing.

  • Use our centralized list of affordable housing options, Online Resource Guide, or GET HELP one-pager to connect to one of our GHA Partner organizations that can help.

    Find out if you qualify for housing assistance by utilizing this form.

  • The Housing Provider does not provide direct service or funding to those facing eviction.

    To learn more about the Greenville Homelessness Alliance's education and advocacy efforts related to eviction, email Heather Gatchell.

  • The GVL iGNITE fund is a tool that will be used in the pilot to help explore the benefit of flexible funding to secure and maintain housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

    The pilot will examine what costs would mitigate the risk for a housing provider to work with a frontline service provider to move a person who has experienced chronic homelessness into permanent housing. The fund is based on research from other fast-growing cities such as Charlotte, Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville. Innovative partnerships have been successful in creating housing options to end homelessness.