Chatham Housing Collective

In response, community partners came together to form the Chatham Housing Collective (CHC) in 2022 – a collaborative network focused on ensuring families have access to both immediate housing support and long-term solutions .

Facilitated by United Way of Chatham County, the Collective brings together nonprofits, county agencies, and other partners to coordinate services, share data, and strengthen the community's housing response. Through this collaboration, organizations are building stronger connections, improving referrals, and helping more residents move from instability to stability.

The CHC measures impact not in terms of agency level outputs, but instead in terms of community-level outcomes that focus on a specific change for a targeted group of people. The CHC has defined Chatham's community-level outcomes as follows: Households experiencing homelessness increase their access to case management services. Households who are unsheltered find safe, temporary shelter. Homeless service providers coordinate services and housing for households in need. The number of available units for those experiencing a housing crisis increases.

Partners show up with their expertise, connections and a willingness to collaborate. United Way of Chatham County leads coordination, providing structure and support so partners can focus on helping families. Together, we: Case conference (weekly) and problem solve; Refer individuals and families to programs defined by an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding); Connect to local and regional resources; Participate in trainings an workshops coordinated by UWCC; Regularly review data to guide improvements.

The CHC Data Dashboard brings together local housing data from nonprofits, county agencies, and community partners to show where needs are greatest and progress is being made. This shared tool helps partners coordinate services, inform policy decisions, and strengthen efforts to make housing more accessible and affordable in Chatham County.