CHARLOTTE'S HOMELESS
City grapples with shelter solutions
More will have no bed as winter program ends
FRED KELLY
frkelly@charlotteobserver.com
In less than three weeks, temporary church and college campus shelters will shut down, leaving hundreds of homeless people without a place to sleep.
Some social workers and churches want to extend Room in the Inn -- one of Charlotte's most well-known outreach programs -- from four months to year-round.
But the prospect comes as social agencies are starting to emphasize a new approach: permanent housing over shelter beds.
It's a vexing struggle. Social agencies must apply a long-term strategy while meeting the immediate needs of Charlotte's growing homeless population.
Most agree building affordable housing would reduce homelessness, but some want more money for shelter beds to ease crowding.
"We need to be realistic," said Deronda Metz, director of social services for the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. "A lot of the people coming to the shelters have no income. We're still going to need shelters."
Others say cities such as San Francisco and New York City have cut homelessness and saved money by putting people into low-cost housing and reducing reliance on shelters.
"Every year, we have a group of people meet and say `What can we do?' " said Bob Breed, associate pastor of outreach at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, which shelters the homeless once a week in the winter. "They only focus on the immediate crisis. We need to say how can we give people a place to live instead of just a place to stay."
5,000 homeless in county
Each spring, Charlotte's lack of shelter beds becomes obvious: Temporary winter shelters close and year-round shelters don't have room for newcomers.Socia
A recent county report found that the number of people who used a shelter bed jumped 13 percent from 2006 to 2007.
Charlotte's two largest year-round homeless shelters, the Uptown Men's Shelter and the Salvation Army shelter for women, are full. The Emergency Winter Shelter, open for men from October to April, is also full.
They will face even more demand when Room in the Inn, which the Urban Ministry Center helps administer, closes at the end of the month. A network of more than 90 local churches and colleges shelters about 1,000 people from December to March.
Many of the clients -- ranging from teens to senior citizens -- are physically disabled, mentally ill or fleeing abusive relationships.
Some won't find a warm place to stay. They wind up sleeping in tents near uptown, under bridges along Interstate 277 or in cars.
On a recent day, Leroy Fate waited in line at a homeless assistance center uptown to sign up for a bed in Room in the Inn.
Fate, 57, said he has been homeless since August. He said he could not pay for his apartment after he was ruled ineligible to continue receiving government disability payments. Fate said he will attend a hearing today to learn whether his benefits will be reinstated.
Fate already considers himself lucky, though, because he may soon move to Rocky Mount to live with relatives.
"Most of them here don't know where they are going to go," when the church shelters close, he said.
Nearby, a woman yells she's going to sleep "in the woods with the snakes."
More church help needed
At the Salvation Army, a worker is on the phone explaining to a woman the shelter has room for her, but not for her 16-year-old son because the beds for teens are all taken.
When Room in the Inn closes, officials say at least an additional 65 women will come to the 200-bed shelter near uptown.
Metz, the social service director, is asking local churches to let the women rotate between their buildings until June. She said four churches have signed up so far, but she needs at least eight more.
Metz and others have discussed expanding Room in the Inn to year-round. However, they said some are resistant because some churches don't have the space, money or volunteers to participate all year.
Now, she is trying to raise extra money to place women in the Emergency Winter Shelter during the summer. It costs about $20 a day to keep one person in the shelter, Metz said.
Inside the Uptown's Men's Shelter, 30 to 40 men a night sleep on the floor because the 200 beds are occupied. Administrators are planning a renovation that will allow them to add 40 beds.
"We're all on board with a long-term plan, but we can't ignore that Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States," said Jeremi Snook, interim director. "With all of that good comes some challenges."
10-year plan endorsed
The county Board of Commissioners last week endorsed a 10-year plan that does call for 250 additional year-round beds, but emphasizes shifting resources toward building or using existing affordable housing.Under the plan the homeless would move into low-cost housing where they would receive supportive services such substance abuse treatment, counseling and other assistance.
It is still unclear how advocates will pay for the plan. County commissioners have not pledged financial backing.
Some commissioners voiced passionate support for the plan, but others cast doubts.
Commissioner Bill James, though skeptical, voted for the plan: "If some said it will cost $10 million next year, I'm not sure there's five votes to do this."
On a recent night, about a dozen homeless people filed into Myers Park Presbyterian for the night. Volunteers, including children as young as 9, made beds and served food in the church's multipurpose room.
Beth Bell and other church volunteers mingled and laughed with their guests. "It's hard knowing they are headed back to wherever they go," she said.
The 4,000-member congregation is trying to raise $30 million during a capital campaign.
A portion would go toward facilities to enhance the Room in the Inn and other social outreach programs, said Breed, the associate pastor.
He said his church is proud of its work with Room in the Inn, but realizes it is not a permanent solution to the problem.
"We are just keeping people out of the cold for another month," Breed said.
Want to help?
For more information, or to help, call:
• The Salvation Army women's shelter, 704-348-2560 ext. 245.
• The Uptown Men's Shelter, 704-334-3187
• The Emergency Winter Shelter, 704-333-2608
