South Plains Homeless Consortium will hold a kick-off ceremony for a 100-Day Challenge to improve Lubbock’s Homeless Response System on Friday, September 22nd at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, 1500 Broadway, Suite 101. The public is invited to attend the kick-off ceremony.

In July 2017, the South Plains Homeless Consortium initiated a systems change process to evaluate and improve our local Housing Crisis Response System (HCRS). The HCRS is the system that works to prevent and end homelessness in our community and it is made up of every agency and resource that impacts homelessness. In order to prevent and end homelessness, communities like Lubbock have shifted their response to homelessness from a series of projects that have isolated impacts to a system which has a collective impact on homelessness.

More than fifty individuals representing twenty leading agencies from Lubbock’s HCRS participated in the systems change process over eight weeks. Current systems were reviewed and evaluated, best practices and examples from other systems across the country were considered, and plans were developed for improving the local system. 

During the 100-Day Challenge, participants in the Lubbock HCRS will pilot some of the changes they want to make. Representatives from 15 local agencies have signed the challenge and many more will participate in various ways. The 100-Day Challenge officially starts on September 23rd and ends December 31, 2017. Throughout the challenge period, SPHC will monitor and publish their progress, and identify areas that need further improvement.

One of the most exciting goals of the 100-Day Challenge is to move 45 homeless individuals and households into permanent housing within the 100-Day period.

“This is a very exciting challenge for the Lubbock community,” says Chad Wheeler, SPHC President. “We know how to end homelessness, and improving the way agencies in our community work together for that common goal is an essential part of accomplishing that goal.”

The following agencies have signed the 100-Day Challenge:

  • Children’s Connections 
  • City of Lubbock, Community Development
  • Family Promise of Lubbock
  • Heart of Lubbock Housing
  • Larry Combest Community Health and Wellness Center
  • LPD, Homeless Outreach Team
  • Lubbock Area United Way
  • Lubbock Housing Authority
  • Open Door (formerly Carpenter’s Church)
  • St. Benedict’s Chapel
  • St. Elizabeth University Parish
  • Starcare – PATH
  • The Salvation Army of Lubbock
  • Veterans Affairs
  • Vetstar 

(News release from the South Plains Homeless Consortium)