The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers.
Our member organizations serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addictions services. Membership primarily consists of organizations serving the homeless in the Greater Cincinnati/Tri-State area, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Our membership base also includes individuals and volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs.
The Coalition performs three areas of work: coordinating services, educating the public, and grassroots organizing and advocacy. Homeless and formerly homeless individuals are incorporated into all programs and initiatives at the Coalition.
We Serve the Greater Cincinnati Region through…
- Coordination of Services: By coordinating services within the community, we help our member agencies provide their services, share their resources, and work with the homeless population.
- Advocacy: The Coalition works with local officials, the community and homeless people to ensure that the rights of homeless persons are preserved, that the trend of criminalization of homelessness is reversed and that just social policy is enacted to end homelessness.GCCH is a regional site for the National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project, which seeks to document and end hate crimes against homeless people and to educate and organize homeless individuals to protect their civil rights.
- Education: Through our education opportunities and resources, we provide the groundwork for understanding the complexities of homelessness so that our community can work towards sustainable solutions. For nearly twenty years, GCCH has been providing educational opportunities to churches, companies, schools and universities in Cincinnati.
- Streetvibes is a newspaper that covers the issues of homelessness, social justice, and poverty. It is easily the most recognizable educational tool that GCCH offers. Streetvibes Distributors purchase papers for 50 cents and sell them to the public for a $1.50 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. In 2011, Streetvibeshad a circulation of over 81,000.
- The GCCH’s Speaker’s Bureau is made up of homeless and formerly homeless individuals who share their stories with area schools, and civic and faith organizations.
