Supportive Housing Innovative Project (SHIP)
Working together for Homeless Families
Charlotte cannot house its growing number of homeless families. On any given night, more than 6,000 people have no where to call home. The Salvation Army, Charlotte Housing Authority, St. Matthew Catholic Church, St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are teaming up to offer people a way out of homelessness.
The Salvation Army began housing homeless women and children in 1924 in a home in Uptown Charlotte. Today, in terms of numbers served, the shelter has grown to be the largest such shelter in the Southeastern United States, yet the Center of Hope struggles daily to find available bed space for this vulnerable group.
We are pleased to announce SHIP - Supportive Housing Innovative Project. This collaboration will provide 60 unfurnished apartment homes within a Charlotte Housing Authority complex for families to move out of the Center of Hope and into permanent housing, while accessing onsite case management and job-training services.
The Challenge
The Salvation Army Center of Hope is a year-round emergency shelter for homeless women, children, and families.
- Last year the shelter saw the number of women and families seeking help increase by 27 percent.
- When no other sheltering options are available, the agency is forced to turn these families away. Much of this can be attributed to the lack of resources to move these families out of the shelter into permanent housing.
- Over the past 10 years, the length of time families remain in the shelter has increased significantly.
- On average, 50 percent of the residents served at the Center of Hope simply need employment and housing to reestablish independence.
The Goal
With our partners, we plan to provide the community with a permanent, long-term solution to the ongoing crisis of shelter overcrowding through SHIP - Supportive Housing Innovative Project. This project will provide homeless families independent housing at an apartment complex owned and operated by Horizon Development, Inc., a subsidiary of the Charlotte Housing Authority. The Salvation Army will screen prospective program participants and provide supportive services that include case management, vocational and educational training, and therapeutic services.
Provide Support
We cannot do this without the support of the community! To provide support, please click here.
For more information, please call 704.348.2560 or email us.