CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46) – The Charlotte City Council could decide to move forward with plans to tackle affordable housing.
Right now, efforts are underway to build more affordable homes and some organizers hope they target the homeless.
According to the City of Charlotte, the city needs an additional 24,000 units of affordable housing to meet the current need. More than 55,000 Charlotteans don’t currently have an affordable place to live.
That’s three-quarters of Bank of America Stadium. But more affordable housing could be coming to the Queen City.
Greg Jackson is the founder of Heal Charlotte and an advocate for the homeless. He said the need for more affordable housing has never been greater.
“There’s not a rapid process of getting people housed, were not taking advantage of the buildings that are already established here,” Jackson said.
Jackson works with people living on the streets who are trying to make the transition to permanent housing.
A vote to approve up to $1.8 million could help Charlotte get one step closer to ending its affordable housing crisis. A proposal asking the city to approve the funds to build 37 affordable homes could be approved by council members.
Vantage Pointe and Phoenix Rising would be the new developments built near Lasalle Street not far from the Beatties Ford Road Corridor. The city owns the properties.
“If it’s not affordable to that demographic, which is the homeless community in Charlotte,” Jackson said. “Then we’re really not going to make a dent in this problem that we have right now.”
Bethany McDonald is the founder of Hearts Beat As One working with the homeless. McDonald said the group has worked with Dreamkey in the past.
Dreamkey is also known as Charlotte Housing Partnership and it will be over housing the units. McDonald hopes more affordable housing will mean more chances for the homeless living in hotels right now.
“Right now in terms of housing and vouchers and all of those things there’s such a shortage,” McDonald said. “They can’t get approved or they’re in a queue and so far back in line that it’s just exhausting.”
Some of them are approved for affordable housing but are having to wait for months before they move in. Others don’t meet some of the move-in requirements.
“There has to be assistance with helping them be self-sustainable and understanding that they are making money, just not enough,” McDonald said. “There’s a huge problem with that.”
The city council will meet Monday at 5 p.m. to discuss how the city can better manage affordable housing. This specific topic is number seven on the agenda.
