New construction uptown pushing homeless camps out

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Business in Charlotte is booming the growth has given rise to new buildings and challenges for our homeless neighbors.

[Volunteers gather data on homeless in effort to find ways to help]

Some of their campsites in Center City that used to be hidden by trees are now in the path of construction and getting pushed out.

“So, people are getting displaced, so they are finding other areas to put their communities or where they live, which happens to be in tent communities, said Randall Hitt, who is with the Urban Ministry Center and Men's Shelter of Charlotte.

It's becoming common to see tents on sidewalks along College and Tryon streets.

Channel 9 found people sleeping outside near the men's shelter, which has seen a 15% increase in those seeking beds.

“In our last fiscal year, we turned away about 944 individuals, who were seeking shelter, bed or mat that we simply did not have,” Hitt said.

The troubling trend could foreshadow images like skid row.

“We are on a trajectory with our affordable housing that years down the road, we might be a community that people see or think of with Seattle or Los Angeles,” Hitt said.

Community advocates said Charlotte is at a crossroads they're encouraged by the serious dialogue among city leaders about providing permanent housing for people on the lowest level of income.

“What we challenge the community is not to think about this as, ‘That we need more shelter beds,’” Hitt said. “It is that we need more affordable housing so that we can move people more quickly out of the shelter.”

In the meantime, if you see a homeless camp or someone you think is in need of services, don't assume that the shelter staff knows about it.

Go to the Urban Ministry Center and Men's Shelter of Charlotte website where you can learn how to help by sending a referral to the street outreach team.

Cox Media Group