PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

People experiencing chronic homelessness are among the most vulnerable people in our community, and we work tirelessly to provide them the safety, stability, and dignity of home.

What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

Permanent supportive housing provides affordable housing paired with supportive services to ensure people experiencing chronic homelessness obtain and retain housing and have the opportunity to work towards their own life goals. Under the "Housing First" model, our permanent supportive housing is provided without preconditions such as employment/income, sobriety, or medication compliance. Housing First recognizes the fundamental need of housing for all people, regardless of barriers, and believes that providing the stability of housing first, and then surrounding tenants with appropriate supports, is the best way to help people work towards personal goals and improve their quality of life.

Core tenets of permanent supportive housing include:

Housing Choice and Affordability

  • Individuals sign a lease and enjoy the same rights and obligations of tenancy as their neighbors.
  • Tenants pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent plus basic utilities. A rental subsidy is provided by various funding sources.  

Supportive Services

  • Service participation is voluntary and not required in order to maintain housing.
  • Services are client-directed and recovery-based.
  • Examples of supports are obtaining income through employment or benefits, connecting to healthcare, and recreational activities. 

Eligibility

  • Referrals come from Coordinated Entry. Individuals must call 704-284-9665 to determine their eligibility for applying to any housing program in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area.
  • Must be an unaccompanied and documented individual, 18 years of age or older.
  • Must meet the federal definition of chronic homelessness and provide documentation.

We provide more than 500 units of permanent supportive housing through the following programs:

Homeful Housing at HillRock Estates

The

341-unit apartment complex on Eastway Drive includes affordable housing for people at a variety of income ranges, with 75 units reserved for permanent supportive housing for individuals with disabilities and long-term experiences of homelessness in a program called Homeful Housing. 

  • Staff include on-site case managers funded by Mecklenburg County
  • For more information on this housing program please contact DeWett Wilson, director of Homeful Housing.

SECU The Rise on Clanton, Apartments by Roof Above

A hotel that was converted into 88 studio apartments for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. 

  • Case management is funded through a partnership with Mecklenburg County. 
  • Additional staff includes an on-site nurse, tenant services coordinator, and operations/facilities staff.
  • Apartments come fully furnished.  

For more information on this housing program please contact Gena Robinson, VP of Single-Site Housing. 

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Moore Place Apartments

As a single-site complex with 120 efficiency units, Moore Place was the first single-site permanent supportive housing program operating under the Housing First model in Mecklenburg County. 

  • Support services are provided in partnership with Mecklenburg County Community Support Services. 
  • Staff includes an on-site nurse, tenant services coordinator, and operations/facilities staff.
  • Apartments come fully furnished.

For more information on this housing program please contact Teyona Richmond, office manager.

Click here to access the Moore Place Evaluation Report that summarizes the activities and findings of the Moore Place Permanent Supportive Housing Evaluation Project

Click here as Liz Clasen-Kelly, Roof Above CEO provides a tour and explanation of our Housing First philosophy to end homelessness.

Scattered-Site Housing

Scattered-site permanent supportive housing includes three programs and provides a total of 275 apartment units scattered throughout the Charlotte community in partnership with various landlords. Support services are provided by Roof Above case managers and nurses. 
  • Homeless to Homes began as a pilot Housing First program in 2008.  There are currently 145 individuals housed through this program.  
  • MeckFUSE is a program in partnership with Mecklenburg County which diverts frequently incarcerated Mecklenburg County residents from jail and into housing with supportive services. Currently, there are 50 individuals housed through this program.  
  • Housing First Charlotte Mecklenburg provides 80 units of housing with supportive services provided by Mecklenburg County Community Support Services.    
For more information on these housing programs please contact Joann Markley, VP of Scattered-Site Housing.  

Impact

Little Richard Jordan is a man of few words and doesn’t often make eye contact, but when he does, the great depth in his eyes speaks volumes. He experienced homelessness for more than 10 years, mostly sleeping outside. Sometimes he would lay his sleeping bag out on a walkway to the chapel at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. Instead of making him leave, the congregation took Little Richard into their hearts. He continued to sleep outside the church as members sought services and advocated for him. It was a challenge to find a housing solution that met Little Richard’s needs.

In the fall of 2020, Roof Above created the Homeful Housing program, providing affordable housing and permanent supportive services for people like Little Richard who have experienced long-term homelessness. Click this link to read Little Richard’s full story.