Homelessness
Connect people facing homelessness, health barriers and housing instability with direct outreach, practical help and stronger systems of support.
Service Details
Homelessness can make it harder to access health care, housing assistance and even basic services. Central Pines works directly with people experiencing homelessness and alongside local governments, health providers and community organizations to make those connections easier.
Our work ranges from street outreach in Chatham County and mobile health care in Durham to regional efforts improving how young people navigate homelessness services across multiple counties.
Need help finding services now?
NC 211 connects people with housing, shelter, food, health care and other community resources throughout North Carolina.
Services At a Glance
Explore The Details
Program Services & Information
Program Services & Information
Outreach & Housing Connection
Finding help can be difficult when someone is living outside or moving between temporary situations. Outreach creates a direct connection to people who can listen, identify immediate needs and help navigate available services.
Chatham County Street Outreach
Central Pines provides dedicated street outreach for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Chatham County. Outreach focuses on meeting people where they are, identifying needs and connecting individuals and families with community services and pathways toward more stable housing.
Melissa Lowell
Chatham County Street Outreach Coordinator
919-407-8525
mlowell@centralpinesnc.gov
Health Care Without the Usual Barriers
People living unsheltered often face significant barriers to traditional health care, including transportation, insurance and difficulty maintaining appointments. UNITE brings care into the places where people already are.
UNITE Durham
UNITE — Unsheltered Neighbors Interventions, Therapies, and Engagement — provides mobile, street-based health care for people living unsheltered in Durham.
The team provides basic medical care and health screenings while helping people connect with primary care, mental-health services, substance-use treatment, housing assistance and other support. No appointment, insurance or transportation is required for street outreach. Central Pines Regional Council
UNITE also provides SOAR disability assistance for people who need help applying for Social Security Disability or SSI and offers mobile health services for people with serious or ongoing medical needs.
More Durham Resources
More Durham Resources
- Entry Point Durham — For people experiencing homelessness who need help accessing shelter or resolving a housing crisis.
- NC 211 — Search for additional Durham-area services.
Improving the System for Young People
Young people experiencing homelessness can encounter multiple organizations, eligibility rules and service systems at once. Central Pines is helping regional partners make those systems easier to navigate and more responsive to youth themselves.
Youth Homelessness System Improvement
Central Pines received HUD funding to establish the Triangle Youth Assistance Coalition, bringing together homelessness-response partners from Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake counties.
The coalition is working toward a more coordinated regional response for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Youth Action Boards bring people with lived experience directly into that work so young people help identify barriers and shape improvements.
The broader initiative also includes system mapping and needs assessment work designed to identify gaps and improve how youth move through housing and service systems.
Pablo Robles Guerrero
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Learn More
Learn More
Looking for housing or shelter now? This initiative improves the homelessness-response system rather than serving as a general intake program. Use NC 211 or your community’s coordinated-entry system for immediate service needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the right starting point for outreach, referrals and homelessness services.
I need housing, shelter, food or other assistance now. Where should I start?
I need housing, shelter, food or other assistance now. Where should I start?
Start with NC 211 if you are not already connected with a local provider. It can help identify housing, shelter, food, health care and other services available in your community.
Does Central Pines operate a homeless shelter?
Does Central Pines operate a homeless shelter?
No. Central Pines’ homelessness programs focus on street outreach, health care, service connections and regional systems improvement rather than operating a general shelter.
Who can Chatham County Street Outreach help?
Who can Chatham County Street Outreach help?
The program works with individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Chatham County and helps connect them with available services and housing resources.
Who can be referred to UNITE?
Who can be referred to UNITE?
UNITE works with unsheltered people in Durham who have medical or health-related needs and may face barriers to traditional care. Community members and partner organizations can submit referrals.
Does UNITE provide shelter?
Does UNITE provide shelter?
No. UNITE primarily provides street-based health services and connections to other programs. For shelter or housing assistance in Durham, start with Entry Point Durham.
What is SOAR?
What is SOAR?
SOAR helps eligible people experiencing or at risk of homelessness apply for Social Security Disability or SSI when a serious health or mental-health condition makes working difficult. UNITE provides this assistance as part of its Durham outreach.
Is the Youth Homelessness System Improvement project a direct housing program?
Is the Youth Homelessness System Improvement project a direct housing program?
No. Its primary purpose is to improve the regional system serving young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Work includes coordination across jurisdictions, system mapping and identifying opportunities to improve service delivery.
How are young people involved?
How are young people involved?
Youth Action Boards give young people with lived experience a direct role in identifying barriers and shaping improvements to the regional homelessness-response system.
Resources & Guides
Find practical guides, reports and tools developed by Central Pines to help residents, providers and community partners navigate homelessness services and improve regional response systems.
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Durham Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness
Find shelter, food, medical care, behavioral-health services and other local resources for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Durham.
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Central Pines Regional Council Awarded $1.6M Youth Homelessness System Improvement Grant to Create Triangle Youth Assistance Coalition
Central Pines Regional Council received a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to create the Triangle Youth Assistance Coalition. The coalition will coordinate support across Durham, Orange, Wake and Chatham counties, with young people who have experienced homelessness helping shape regional improvements.
Connect With Our Homelessness Team
Need to make a referral, reach an outreach worker or ask about one of our homelessness initiatives? Start with the staff member closest to the need.
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Estrella Robles
Youth Engagement Coordinator
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Melissa Lowell
Street Outreach Coordinator
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Abby Watson
Senior Housing Planner
Thank You to our Partner Organizations
Related Services & Programs
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Area Agency on Aging
Central Pines Area Agency on Aging connects older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers across seven central North Carolina counties with aging services, resources, advocacy and support.
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Aging Well
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Caregiving
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Long-Term Care
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Home Repair
Find home repair, rehabilitation and accessibility assistance that can help eligible homeowners address serious safety issues, remain in their homes and protect long-term housing stability.