OneMECK Supports “A Home For All” – addressing homelessness in our community
To Mayor Lyles and Charlotte City Council Members:
I am writing on behalf of OneMECK (an affordable housing advocacy team*) in support of A Home For All, a critical community-wide initiative. At the April 22 City Council meeting, A Home For All presented a list of substantial funding needs to continue progress toward alleviating the burden of homelessness in our City. While there are questions to be addressed, it is imperative that funding for this initiative be incorporated into the 2025 budget.
A Home For All is the implementation phase of an effort started years ago to address homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. With the involvement of over 250 organizations and stakeholders, including city leaders, the initiative has been carefully planned to leverage the strengths of public and private sectors in pursuit of effective solutions. Led by United Way, these organizations collaborated to develop a high-impact funding request for the next fiscal year.
The problems we need to address are substantial. Over 3,000 individuals in the Charlotte region currently find themselves without a home and our community requires an additional 45,000 housing units to accommodate those earning 30% or less of the area median income. These statistics demonstrate the urgent need for action.
The level of community involvement in the recently passed “re-criminalization” ordinance changes shows that there is a strong interest in addressing homelessness. OneMECK believes that the criminal penalties will be ineffective without addressing the underlying problems of the homeless, and that real progress will require a greater commitment. Funding A Home For All is a chance to have a significant impact.
We urge City Council to offer strong support for A Home For All, and to approve full funding in the coming year. Mike O’Sullivan, Chair, OneMECK Affordable Housing Committee
OneMECK Presentation to NEST Commission Representatives
On May 23, 2023 OneMECK met with representatives of the Neighborhood and Equity Stabilization Commission to present our perspectives on affordable housing in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg community.
OneMECK Supports the adoption of the Unified Development Ordinance
To Mayor Lyles and City Council Members:
On August 22, 2022 City Council is scheduled to vote on adoption of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO is the product of years of work by City Council supported by planning staff. We urge current City Council members to complete the work on the UDO and vote for adoption. The new UDO, combined with policies under development by the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Commission and Charlotte Equitable Development Commission will guide our community toward forward thinking, equitable development for current and future generations.
The current zoning laws are comprised of multiple ordinances dating back many years. While adjustments and additional ordinances have been adopted over the years, these tactical changes do not adequately address future development and do not promote equitable, sustainable growth. With the UDO, our community will realize social and economic benefits from an integrated plan for development, and growth targeted for a better future.
The UDO is a smart, unified approach for future development that considers the needs of all Charlotteans. A few of the key benefits:
- More comprehensible regulations. The UDO combines regulations and standards from eight (8) different development ordinances into a single comprehensive document, making the development process more efficient, while addressing the need for more sustainable and equitable housing for families.
- More accessible, affordable housing options. Demand for housing has increased redevelopment across Charlotte neighborhoods, often displacing families through gentrification, for example. By adding duplex/triplex/quadruplex housing, families will have access to more affordable options, mitigating housing price increases often associated with redevelopment. The UDO also ensures neighborhood preservation through Historic District and Neighborhood Character Overlays.
- More green spaces, less congested traffic patterns. The UDO is specifically designed to create more accessible and walkable neighborhoods, reducing the need for driving and, in some cases, purchasing a car. It also seeks to integrate development and transportation planning, serving high density areas with thoughtful mass transit services. The cost burden to put a “car centric” infrastructure in place impacts everyone. And retrofitting green space amenities after the fact is also expensive.
The need for the UDO is clear. The current Zoning laws are outdated and woefully inadequate given the rate of growth in Charlotte. The new UDO is based on a strategic growth mapping that will sustain Charlotte’s neighborhoods and promote equitable prosperity for families far into the future.
We ask for your vote in support of the UDO on August 22. Thank you for your service to our community.
Justin Perry, Founder, OneMECK
Mike O’Sullivan, Chair, OneMECK Affordable Housing Committee
OneMECK Theory of Change
Unanimously approved at OneMECK meeting 3/10/2022
Who we are:
OneMECK Coalition is an alliance of Mecklenburg County organizations and individuals that advocates for equitable access to economic opportunity and housing in all parts of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
What is the real problem we are trying to solve?
- Inequitable access to housing arising from socio-economic and racial inequity and discrimination, both caused and exacerbated by institutional and systemic barriers including public and private sector policies and practices.
Our Theory of Change:
- In order to increase economic mobility and to increase economic and racial residential diversity that optimizes opportunity in education, work, and life, the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County must address the institutional systems and structures that create barriers to equitable housing while increasing the inventory of geographically dispersed affordable housing. This includes addressing, through action, the enduring impact of our community’s legacies of:
- Public and private policies and practices that support inequity
- Institutional, systemic, and structural racism
- Economic classism, racial bias, and the continuing exclusion of historically marginalized groups
- Power structures that disenfranchise people
- Lack of political will to make and to sustain institutional, legal, political, systemic and structural changes
- Multi-pronged, cross-sector changes to institutions, systems, policies, and practices supporting structural inequity will be required to create neighborhoods and schools that are sustainably economically diverse, and thus racially diverse. This includes forging partnerships with public sector entities (such as elected officials and policy makers), the nonprofit sector (for living wage workforce development and affordable housing development) and private sector organizations and individuals (such as employers and developers).
To accomplish this, OneMECK will be strategic in inviting new coalition members (individuals and organizations), in joining initiatives, and in taking actions that are focused on making changes to institutions, systems, policies, and practices that impact the creation and preservation of equitable access to quality housing across Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
OneMECK Position on Rezoning petition for CMS Project on Ardrey Kell Road
To Mayor Lyles and Members of the Charlotte City Council – we are writing on behalf of OneMECK (https://www.onemeck.org) in support of the CMS/Woodfield Development rezoning petition scheduled for a vote during the 2/21/2022 City Council meeting.
We support this project because it adds urgently needed public school capacity in the Ballantyne area. Funds from the associated apartment development will help CMS, and will bring additional housing capacity into the growing community of Ballantyne. The 15% allocation for “affordable housing” is targeted toward those earning <80% of the AMI. While OneMECK would argue for an increased number of affordable units and a lower AMI target, the 15% will help with economic diversity of the project and is being provided without tapping scarce public resources. Affordable housing at this rent level could potentially help people who work at the school, and people of color, live right next to the new schools.
We at OneMECK support the project as currently defined. We would be strongly against any reduction in the number of affordable units or increase of the AMI target.
Timing is crucial. If CMS delays, the high school gets pushed back another year. They cannot open new schools at random times of the year. If they miss the window to get construction done by August, an entire school year will be lost.
During the last CMS student assignment process, the plan called on all 3 bodies of government (CMS, City, and County) to collaborate to address school segregation. With CMS and the County engagement on land and park and recreation already, the City has the opportunity to approve this plan and demonstrate the type of collaboration this community needs more of.
Justin Perry, Founder, OneMECK
Mike O’Sullivan, Chair, OneMECK Affordable Housing Committee