When employment wages aren't enough to cover housing costs, a crisis of affordable housing can occur. When an affordable housing crisis happens, homelessness can enter the picture.

Homelessness and affordable housing might be topics that local residents don't know too much about or don't want to think about. But they are issues that the Warwick Community Hub is not only exploring but also addressing.

"I think the homelessness crisis is a systemic issue," said Charis Pankratz, the Warwick Community Hub's resource coordinator. "It's not just related to people's choices. I think we can all agree that affordable housing is a challenge. I think the housing struggles and the chasm we're experiencing is a lot more visible than it used to be. But homeless numbers have increased."

"There are so many reasons for that," Pankratz continued. "Research suggests that we have become more individualistic than community oriented as a whole. We believe in a community that comes together and cares for everyone."

Located inside Lititz Mennonite Church, 165 Front St., Lititz, Warwick Community Hub is rolling out its new Next Steps Program, designed to tackle the local housing crisis at the roots through mentoring, empathy and various levels of community involvement. The transitional housing program identifies a local family in need, houses its members for nine to 12 months and provides support to get that family headed in a new financial direction.

"You want to get (families) housed before you get all the ducks in a row," said Pankratz. "Once there's a sense of safety, you can build connections. The nature of a transitional housing program provides families a chance to take a breath and build relationships. They are equipped with skills and given opportunities. Having housing gives individuals a chance to build skills."

Here's how the Warwick Community Hub's Next Steps program works: A family in need living in the Warwick School District is identified. After the family agrees to share specifics of its financial history, the family members are moved into the Warwick Community Hub's three-bedroom house, located in Lititz.

During its nine- to 12-month stay in the home, the family receives mentoring, financial counseling and decision-making advice. At the end of the stay, the family receives assistance in locating permanent housing that reflects its budget.

"A family has not been identified yet, but we are actively speaking with people," said Jenny Snyder, a licensed social worker who works at the Warwick Community Hub. "The home is move-in ready. Participants need to meet with a budget coach. They have to want to be a part of it. They have to want a partner who's going to walk alongside of them."

The Warwick Community Hub takes a broad approach to local homelessness, one that includes individuals living with relatives, sleeping in cars or living in hotels. In the Warwick School District, 36% of students qualify for the United States Department of Agriculture's free and reduced-cost meal program, and the school district has identified 80 current students as meeting homeless criteria.

"The general thinking is that 30 to 33% of a monthly income should go toward rent or mortgage payments," said Pankratz. "So, if a family is bringing in $3,000 per month, their rent or mortgage payments should be $1,000 or less. It's a challenge to find housing for less than $1,500 a month in Warwick or across the nation."

According to the United States Census Bureau, between 2017 and 2021 over 40% of renter households in the country - about 19 million - dedicated more than 30% of their income to rent.

"I think people want to know why we need a program like this," said Shawna Billek, Warwick Community Hub's operations coordinator.

"We know landlords have bills to pay and property management companies have to pay their employees," said Pankratz. "There's not an easy answer. It's a very complex conversation."

Founded in February of 2023, Warwick Community Hub is supported by one full-time employee, three part-timers and 33 active volunteers. Faith-based Warwick Community Hub receives no government money and is 100% funded by donations from churches, businesses and individual community members.

"Obviously, there are no guarantees," said Snyder. "Nine to 12 months isn't going to erase things or fix things. If we can help families take those first few steps of the journey, we'd be delighted. We all have ups and downs. That's life. We want to give people the tools to carry on. The Hub isn't going anywhere. We're still going to be here."

For additional information, go to http://www.warwick-hub.org.