The Lived Experience Council

The Lived Experience Council (LEC) ensures that people with lived experience of homelessness are meaningfully involved in the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care’s (GRCoC) coordinated decision-making related to preventing and ending homelessness. The council brings valuable perspectives to system planning, policy discussions, and community efforts by elevating the voices and experiences of individuals who have directly navigated homelessness and housing instability.

As a newer council, the LEC is currently focused on learning about the GRCoC, its structure, and system practices to support informed participation and long-term engagement in community decision-making. The council currently consists of five members and meets monthly, with plans to transition to quarterly meetings in the future.

The GRCoC values the insights and perspectives of LEC members and recognizes their lived expertise as an important component of strengthening homelessness response efforts across the community.

For questions regarding the Lived Experience Council, please reach out to ceast@homewardva.org.