Homeless Resource Center

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

To affirm the need for and demonstrate its own commitment and leadership in ending homelessness, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners established the Palm Beach County Homeless Advisory Board. This Board was chartered with the task of preparing and overseeing the implementation of the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Palm Beach County. The combined efforts of the Board, community representatives and formerly homeless individuals led to adoption of the Ten-Year Plan by the Board of County Commissioners in September of 2008. The objective of the Ten-year Plan is to create a local response system that will end homelessness in ten years. In order to meet this objective, action steps were developed which address gaps in services. A Homeless Resource Center is one of the action steps identified in the Ten-Year Plan to address centralizing and streamlining entry into the homeless service delivery system. On July 2, 2012, Palm Beach County opened its’ first Homeless Resource Center - the Senator Philip D. Lewis Center. This Homeless Resource Center serves as the County’s central point of access for homeless services. At the Lewis Center, in 90 days or less, homeless individuals and families receive a diverse offering of high quality services from a team of community partners, that are necessary to return them to a self-sufficient lifestyle, thereby ending homelessness. The services are provided under contract/agreement with the County, in conjunction with County staff, under the seamless umbrella of the Senator Philip D. Lewis Center – with the tag line of “Ending Homelessness Start Here”.