Reflections on 100 Days of Action
Photo by Aedrian Salazar on Unsplash
Madeline Tice
MSW Student
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Torrey Love
Outreach Team Lead
Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition
Lynn Cuddy
Chief of Staff
The Relatives
Ayesha Williams
Social Worker – Coordinated Entry
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
In September 2025, professionals in Mecklenburg County working in youth-oriented spaces came together to embark on the 100-Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness. Multiple organizations, including members of the Mecklenburg County Continuum of Care and the Youth Action Board, were able to share expertise with one another to develop creative solutions for youth homelessness in the community.
This blog provides an explanation of the 100 Day Challenge, the goal and results of the challenge, and next steps following the end of the challenge.
ABOUT THE 100 DAY CHALLENGE
Led by the guidance of RE!NSTITUTE Catalysts, the purpose of the challenge was to zoom in and take a purposeful look at youth homelessness in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. Challenge participants were intentionally selected for their unique experiences working with young people in the community. The group decided to approach the challenge with a focus on prevention and diversion. Together, the team established a goal to prevent 35 young people aged 16-25 from entering literal homelessness in 100 days. Four workstreams were developed: Expanding Housing Options, Youth Engagement and Leadership, Wrap-Around Services, and System-Level Tools and Processes.
Representatives from multiple organizations that work with young people joined the challenge. The following organizations were involved:
- CoC Youth Action Board
- Time Out Youth
- The Relatives
- Roof Above
- Youth Villages
- Meck county CSS/HISS
- Hearts for the Invisible Coalition
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
- Charlotte Family Housing
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
OUTCOMES
At the end of the challenge, a total of 97 young people were prevented from entering literal homelessness, and of youth who received prevention services only one became literally homeless. Important connections and resources also came out of the challenge. Important resources that were developed and shared include:
- Comprehensive homeless prevention resource kit
- Flexible prevention funding gained for The Relatives
- Partnerships with landlords for housing for youth
NEXT STEPS
The focus on youth homelessness does not end with the challenge. The team established next steps for the community to ensure that this remains a priority moving forward. A primary focus is on understanding the ways young people become homeless in Charlotte and establishing new access points to prevent young people from entering into homelessness. The county resource guide will also be expanded to include prevention services and resources. Another priority is creating more youth-dedicated housing through partnership with community organizations. The CoC’s Youth Workgroup will be relaunching to provide a dedicated space to discuss cases and problem solve for youth homelessness. The workgroup meetings will take place once a month and are open to anyone in the community who are working with or are interested in young people experiencing homelessness.
