The 2040 Comprehensive Plan creates an opportunity to build equity into Charlotte’s future growth. It begins with a recognition of the history of redlining and urban renewal that exacerbated racial disparities and creates a roadmap to ensure that all residents have access to the benefits of our city’s expansion.
Discussions of poverty and its impact in Charlotte-Mecklenburg often uncover a few myths and misconceptions about who is affected, how they are affected, and how the needs of struggling neighbors are (or are not) met equitably.
As the debate about how to fix Charlotte’s affordable housing shortage rages on, it’s important to remember that skyrocketing rents are not the only factor. “Affordable housing” means a household spends no more than 30% of its income on rent and utilities. It’s that second part – the cost of utilities – that often gets left out of the conversation.
When his rent went up to just $33 less than his entire monthly income, Jeff joined the ranks of our city’s chronically homeless. For the next 14 months, he made his home in a tent in the woods. He didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t afford market rent on his disability income, and the waiting lists were so long to get into subsidized housing for seniors or individuals with disabilities.
$50M Housing Bond supports Housing Trust Fund. A family assisted by Crisis Assistance Ministry is featured in the Charlotte Observer’s October 18 article about the City of Charlotte’s Housing Trust Fund and the proposed $50M housing bond package on city voter’s ballots this election cycle.
