Greenville interfaith group updates plan for affordable housing, mental health

Greenville Organized for Accountable Leadership has a goal to improve mental health services and affordable housing in Greenville County.

The local interfaith coalition first set out to accomplish this objective during its inaugural year in 2022. In November 2023, the organization announced it would be continuing to work to address the root causes of these issues.

An updated plan on how to tackle affordable housing and mental health issues will be presented at GOAL’s Justice Ministry Rally on March 11. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church inGreenville. Members from the 26 congregations part of GOAL will be in attendance.

Over the past few months, the coalition held network meetings to collect input from the community on housing and mental health. Over 800 people participated in the meetings. The upcoming rally will highlight the outcomes of the discussions and testimonies from those affected by these issues.

GOAL also intends to follow up with local government officials on the commitments they previously made to help address the mental health and housing crisis.

Last March, Greenville City Council members and Greenville County Councilors both agreed to identify funding streams aimed at generating $10 million annually for the creation of affordable housing. The coalition also asked state legislators to commit funding for the 988 Suicide Lifeline operated by Mental Health America-Greenville County.

Following the upcoming rally, GOAL will prepare for its annual Nehemiah Action on April 15. For more information, visit goaljustice.com.

This story was filed as part of an editorial partnership between South Carolina Public Radio and the Greenville Journal, which is responsible for its content. You can learn more about the Greenville Journal here.