Homelessness
Homelessness is the lack of stable, safe, and adequate housing. It includes our community members living on the streets, in shelters, in cars, and other non-permanent places due to a disparity between cost of living and income.
What would you like to learn?
Thank you to Roof Above for providing guidance on core content as Lead Agency for this folio.
What is homelessness?
Homelessness is the lack of stable, safe, and adequate housing. It includes our community members living on the streets, in shelters, in cars, and other non-permanent places due to a disparity between cost of living and income.
The factors that cause us to be unhoused are varied, but often tied to financial strain. A missed paycheck or emergency can change our housing status overnight, especially when overlapping systems, such as public policy, economics, and health, do not function properly.
In many cases, rising housing costs alone can lead to homelessness even for those of us with a fixed income.
Community members experiencing homelessness can be impacted by unemployment, mental and physical health challenges, substance abuse, domestic violence, and gaps in healthcare. These factors are often compounded by systemic racism, and limited access to education and economic mobility.
Successful solutions for homelessness require more than shorter-term fixes such as shelters, and involve access to safe and stable places to live.
Studies show that a “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes providing stable housing to our neighbors who are unhoused before attending to any less-pressing needs, is among the most effective strategies that lead to long-term housing.
Key Facts
Scroll down for key facts on homelessness
2,018
people in Charlotte-Mecklenburg identified as experiencing homelessness per the 2026 Point-in-Time Count
74%
of those experiencing homelessness in Mecklenburg County in 2025 were Black
27%
of people in Mecklenburg County experiencing homelessness have been homeless for over a year
5,680
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year
+19%
increase in people experiencing homelessness across North Carolina in 2024 versus 2023
1,216
permanent supportive housing units in Mecklenburg County in 2025
Sources
- 2026 Point-in-Time Count: What the Data Reveal About Homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
- 2,404 Neighbors in Need: Mecklenburg County Releases Housing and Homelessness Report
- 2025 Point-in-Time Count: Sheltered Count and Overall Totals
- The Rising Challenge of Student Homelessness
- Statewide rise in homelessness felt in Charlotte, data shows
- Key-Findings_Stable-Housing
What is happening now?
Homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a symptom of the region’s rapid growth, rising costs, and a system scrambling to keep up. Addressing homelessness is a key community issue, but the city still lacks sufficient affordable housing, and robust, coordinated support systems for our neighbors in need.
An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 of our community members are experiencing homelessness. Though many are in shelters or transitional housing, a growing number are unsheltered, reflecting gaps in capacity and affordability.
Black residents are significantly overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness, mirroring broader disparities in income, home ownership, and access to opportunity.
Progress is happening slowly. The Housing First Charlotte-Mecklenburg Partnership (HFCM) was launched in 2015 as a collaboration between Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Center City Partners, and a group of non-profit partners to help end chronic homelessness in Charlotte.
A Home for All, a community initiative launched in 2022, addresses homelessness with a focus on systemic changes, such as increasing the affordable housing supply, and providing person-directed care to our neighbors who are unhoused.
In addition to these efforts, Charlotte is home to many nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and community groups dedicated to helping our community members experiencing homelessness.
Donate or volunteer now
To explore additional nonprofits working in Homelessness, visit SHARE Charlotte’s directory for Homelessness.
Take Action
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Learn Who is Leading
Educate Yourself and Advocate
Volunteer
Give Back Financially
Participate in Planning
Align Priorities
Starting points
These six organizations are good starting points for someone new to this topic to learn more.
Charlotte is home to a growing network of people and organizations who believe in building a stronger, more connected community for all.
Explore more resources below.
Explore More
Provides solutions for economic stability, such as housing assistance, for families in Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville.
Assists low-income individuals and families with creating purpose, remaining empowered, to sustain and remain self-sufficient.
Provides restoration, resources, education and essential tools to individuals that suffer from homelessness and other hardships.
Offers temporary housing and long-term stabilization for families experiencing homelessness.
Serves those at the intersection of homelessness and addiction by providing cost-free, faith-based residential recovery programs.
Partners with nonprofits to assist residents experiencing an emergency or unstable housing situation.
Prevents homelessness through emergency financial assistance, rent support, and advocacy.
To lead private fundraising and advisory efforts for the A Home for All initiative.
Provides criminal justice-involved people with housing solutions and other resources that assist reentry into society.
Provides housing- focused street outreach for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Dedicated to feeding families, supporting unhoused neighbors, and empowering underserved communities through compassion-driven programs and partnerships.
Coalition of providers working to coordinate services and policy to address homelessness.
Connects tenants, landlords, and service providers to help people access affordable housing and navigate housing programs.
Provides critical identification services and housing solutions to neighbors experiencing homelessness and formerly incarcerated persons.
Works with real estate developers and landlords to overcome barriers to existing market-rate housing for people who can’t always meet landlord requirements.
Connects people experiencing homelessness and housing instability to available resources and services.
Promotes dignity and pathways to stability by providing free mobile shower access and hygiene services for unhoused neighbors.
Provides street outreach, day services, emergency shelter, and housing in Charlotte area.
Provides hope and healing to those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Manages programs designed to provide emergency or transitional housing to families in need.
Provides affordable housing to alleviate homelessness and human suffering.
Provides shelter and support for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Provide safe, affordable housing for single women and families with minor children while they participate in an intensive support case management program.
Tools and Resources
Everything you need in one place. Browse articles, reports, and tools that support your journey.
Lingo to Know
Every topic has its own vocabulary. Learn a few key words here so you can explore with confidence.
Chronic homelessness
Homelessness lasting one year or longer.Episodic (short-term) homelessness
Applies to individuals who cycle in and out of homelessness, often because of unstable income, health, or crises.Permanent supportive housing
Affordable housing paired with services to support people experiencing chronic homelessness.Point-in-Time vs. real-time data
Point-in-Time data captures conditions at a single moment. Real-time data continuously updates.Transitional homelessness
Short-term homelessness between permanent homes, often because of a health crisis or job loss.Unhoused
Individuals lacking stable housing, often living in shelters or unsheltered places such as streets or vehicles.
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