​A Genuine Touch: County Seeks Leader to Connect with Unsheltered Homeless

Header images for CSS Housing Innovation & Stabilization Services

More than 150 people are believed to live unsheltered on the streets of Charlotte-Mecklenburg on any given night, according to the 2022 Point in Time Count. Helping them in the short- and long-term often takes a "genuine touch," reaching out to them where they live, eat and sleep.

That's why Mecklenburg County is seeking a provider (or several providers who work together) to build a program that reaches out directly to people living on the street in our community. This Request for Proposals was issued by the County's Community Support Services and its Housing Innovation and Stabilization Services Division (formerly Homeless Services).

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners allocated $650,000 from dollars received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for this purpose. The proposal establishes a lead street outreach coordinator who would develop a strategy and approach, build a team that reaches across skills and disciplines, and oversee the ongoing work.

"People who live without shelter are likely to have higher vulnerabilities and housing barriers than people living in shelters," said Karen Pelletier, director of Housing Innovation and Stabilization Services. "But they aren't connected to the resources that shelters provide. They tend to be disconnected and lack the guidance they need in finding their way to help."

There are many people and organizations who stand ready to help. But Charlotte-Mecklenburg lacks a strategic approach or a lead agency to pull together the various housing providers, grassroots organizations, governments, law enforcement, and others who are already doing their best to help. This proposal stems from the experience and lessons of the North End encampment project and input from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care's Unsheltered Workgroup. It is expected to bring together that array of services to support unsheltered homeless, reducing barriers, increasing access, and decreasing their time on the street.

To learn more about the unsheltered homelessness and the state of housing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, visit the Housing and Homelessness Dashboard.