CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Alex Brown is one of nearly 2,800 homeless people in Charlotte. He’s lived on streets across the East Coast since his father died in 2017.
Singing is how he relieves stress and forgets his troubles.
“The more I do, the better I do, seems like the worse it gets,” he said.
County officials say the number of people experiencing homelessness increased from 2,704 to 2,784 from June 2023 to June 2024.
They say low-cost rentals are disappearing and low- and moderate-income households are struggling to afford rent and keep their housing, meaning evictions are rising.
Now some of those people are looking for places to stay warm through the winter. Brown says he normally sleeps outside during the weather. Fortunately, someone gave Brown a motel room for Thursday night before temperatures drop below 30 degrees.
“I’d rather be in my own little space, my own little bubble,” Brown said.
But Brown worries about the next days when he might need another warm place to sleep.
Executive Director of Block Love Charlotte Deborah Phillips says her organization is working alongside other groups like Roof Above, the Salvation Army Center of Hope, and Hearts for the Invisible to ensure every person shelter in the extreme cold has it.
“We can welcome as many as 50 individuals up into the space. We have one space that is next door. And then the space that we’re standing in right now, so people can come in, they can get the meal, like I said, and get those resources. But we do have a good capacity. So we’re able to make sure that nobody, nobody, for whatever reason, is going to be live outside,” Phillips said.
Her 5-person team provides hot meals around the clock and frequently goes into neighborhoods providing goods and resources for the homeless.
“Right now, we are desperately in need of blankets. We gave out the last of our blankets yesterday evening. We have comforters, but it would help a lot if we had those types of blankets that can roll up a little bit smaller, more compact, not too small, but warm enough to add to their sleeping bags,” Phillips says.
She says the organization is always looking for volunteers to help canvass the area.
Brown says he’s thankful someone cares enough for people who need help like him.
“It makes me feel good. But you know, at the same time, I’m blessed with anything; I’m living. So regardless, I’m a survivor. I’m 41. I’m still here. I know God still got me here for a reason,” Brown said.
Roof Above’s Day Services Center, located at 945 N. College St., will operate under normal hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. throughout this event.
Block Love Charlotte’s Day Services Center, located at 2738 N. Graham St., will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to accommodate people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Hearts for the Invisible Coalition will continue to deploy street outreach teams to homeless encampments to encourage anyone living unsheltered to visit a shelter and to provide information on how to access shelter. Individuals declining shelter will be provided blankets if needed.
The following provides an update on expanded shelter capacity and access during this extreme weather event. Mecklenburg County and the shelters will be closely monitoring shelter utilization.
For Men:
Roof Above provides shelter for men and expanded capacity at their shelter locations. To access shelter, men may visit Roof Above at either 1210 N. Tryon St. or 3410 Statesville Ave. beginning at 4:30 p.m.
For Women and Families:
The Salvation Army provides shelter for women and families and expanded capacity at their shelter location. To access shelter, women and families may visit the shelter at 534 Spratt St. between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Transportation:
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) buses will transport individuals to these shelter locations free of charge from Friday through Sunday. Riders must simply identify a designated shelter location to the driver.
