The Lived Expertise Council

The Lived Expertise 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 elevates the perspectives of individuals who have directly experienced homelessness and housing instability, helping to inform policies, services, funding decisions, and system planning efforts across the region.

LEC members work collaboratively to review and provide input on homelessness policies, identify opportunities to improve services, and advise the GRCoC on initiatives that impact people experiencing homelessness. The council also contributes feedback on funding priorities and other key decisions that shape the GRCoC's homelessness response system. 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 contributions as an essential part of building a more responsive, fair, and effective homelessness response system for the Greater Richmond region.

To review the LEC charter, read here.

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