How do you tackle a widespread problem? With a united front.

Homelessness in the Warwick School District is no less a problem than it is in many communities across Lancaster County. The mission of Warwick Community Hub (WCH), which is to lessen the effects of homelessness, is both shared and supported by the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition (LCHC).

"It's been a joy for us to connect with them," said Charis Pankratz, who's been WCH's resource coordinator for three years. "It's a way to connect with agencies. We believe we're better together. We think we're better off being able to acquire resources we didn't have. The issue of housing and homelessness is big and overwhelming. This is a way for us to work together and come together. We're all better when we work together."

"We're glad to be able to provide support and funding," said Deb Jones, who's been the director of the office of LCHC for four years. "It helps to strengthen organizations that have limited resources. There are a lot of good practices out there."

An initiative of the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority, LCHC, which is housed at 28 Penn Square, Suite 100, Lancaster, is an alliance, a network of 75 contracted partners and collaborators across the county working to address homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. In addition to WCH, agencies like Conestoga Valley SEEDS, Ephrata Area Social Services, Good Samaritan Services, United Way of Lancaster, PA CareerLink, Empower Lancaster and Lancaster City Police, as well as numerous ministries and churches share services, resources and experiences as part of LCHC.

WCH, which is located at 165 Front St., Lititz, inside Lititz Mennonite Church, is the only agency in the Lititz, Warwick Township and Elizabeth Township area involved with LCHC.

"Warwick Community Hub is the expert on homelessness in the Warwick community," said Jones. "They're the boots on the ground. We're grateful for all the work that the Warwick Community Hub is doing in the Warwick area. We have all these regional experts across the county. That network is so important."

"We are specific to the needs in our community," said Pankratz. "Our team just continues to be grateful for the resources that are available and the leadership that's available. We feel what's available has enhanced our work. Two heads are better than one, but 75 heads are also better than one."

LCHC, which operates the local homeless management information system, conducts two coalition-wide meetings at the Lancaster Public Safety Building, 101 Champ Blvd., Manheim, each year. The coalition also holds numerous program meetings weekly, biweekly, monthly and quarterly.

"Our vision is to make homelessness rare or nonexistent," said Jones. "We do it with partners all working together. Our goal is to invite all these agencies to collaborate and network and have stronger client-centered programs. The goal is also to be able to help and refine the system and find the gaps in services."

According to the Warwick School District, 80 students were classified as homeless during the 2024-25 school year. Although data is sometimes difficult to track, LCHC estimates that between 546 and 870 Lancaster County residents are currently homeless.

"We have a small team here," said Pankratz. "We look forward to growing our relationship with Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition. We're a newer organization. We look forward to seeing what comes from this relationship. Our focus has been on the housing piece and eviction prevention. We're trying to keep people housed. We've discussed the fact that homelessness looks different. Homelessness in Lititz may look different than it does in Lancaster."

WCH was launched in February of 2023 and has been a part of LCHC for the better part of the last two years. The origins of the LCHC can be traced to the mid-1980s, and the coalition has been overseen by the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority since 2022.

"We are excited for the Warwick Community Hub," said Jones. "We're looking forward to strengthening our communication. They're just starting out. We're hoping it will be an ongoing conversation."

"When we're in the community sharing the need, some people cannot believe the poverty levels in our community," said Pankratz. "I think that education piece is huge, because if you don't know, there's no way to engage and have people become part of the solution. Homelessness is sometimes easier to see in different areas, but it's here."

For additional information about Warwick Community Hub, go to http://www.warwick-hub.org.

For additional information about the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition, go to https://lchra.com.