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