Building Bridges Blog

Since its inception in 2019 , the “One Number” has served as the primary benchmark for the number of people experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Generated from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the One Number encompasses individuals enrolled in Emergency Shelter (ES), Transitional Housing (TH), Street Outreach (SO), Permanent Housing (PH) (if no move-in date to housing is recorded yet) and Coordinated Entry (CE) programs in HMIS. It includes both those experiencing sheltered homelessness and a portion of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. It also provides a comprehensive By-Name List of each person experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Housing Data Snapshot, the hub for the latest data related to housing and homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, not only provides an overall count and demographics of homelessness by household type and subpopulation, it also highlights inflow to (Newly identified, Returns from Permanent Housing, Returns for Inactivity) and outflow from (Exit to Permanent Housing, Exit to Inactivity), homelessness. This week’s blog post provides the most recent One Number update; a synopsis of recent dashboard updates; the latest One Number trends and analysis; and what this means for Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

On January 23, 2025, 20 CMPD officers and 40 teams of over 200 community volunteers came together to ensure #EverybodyCountsCLT by providing logistical support and conducting surveys with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness across Mecklenburg County. This annual effort is always about more than data collection. It’s about connecting with each person experiencing unsheltered homelessness to better understand what is needed to support them in exiting homelessness. This blog focuses on findings from the 2025 Unsheltered Homeless Census and ways to address unsheltered homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Failure to prioritize housing stability of formerly homeless individuals in housing programs not only negatively impacts individual well-being, it also negatively impacts the local homeless services system and community. This blog explores the importance of housing stability for formerly homeless individuals and the potential individual and system impacts when people exit permanent housing programs to homelessness.

The Research and News Roundup is a monthly blog series that features a curated list of recent news and research related to housing instability, homelessness, and affordable housing. Together, these topics provide insights about the full housing continuum and provide community stakeholders with information about emergent research, promising practices, and innovative solutions related to housing and homelessness. This month’s Research and News Roundup highlights the use of predictive analytics to prevent homelessness, the benefits of guaranteed income programs, and the role of code enforcement in ensuring safe, equitable, and affordable housing.

A recent blog provided an overview of Homeless Palliative Care and outlined the need for homeless palliative care in Mecklenburg County by quantifying the significant number of people in Charlotte-Mecklenburg who are both experiencing homelessness and facing terminal or life-limiting illnesses. This blog explores promising practices in homeless palliative care and what it would take to address the local need for homeless palliative care in Mecklenburg County.

Since its inception in 2019, the “One Number” has served as the primary benchmark for the number of people experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Generated from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the One Number encompasses individuals enrolled in Emergency Shelter (ES), Transitional Housing (TH), Street Outreach (SO), Permanent Housing (PH) (if no move-in date to housing is recorded yet) and Coordinated Entry (CE) programs in HMIS. It includes both those experiencing sheltered homelessness and a portion of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. It also provides a comprehensive By-Name List of each person experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Housing Data Snapshot, the hub for the latest data related to housing and homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, not only provides an overall count and demographics of homelessness by household type and subpopulation, it also highlights inflow to (Newly identified, Returns from Permanent Housing, Returns for Inactivity) and outflow from (Exit to Permanent Housing, Exit to Inactivity), homelessness. This week’s blog post provides the most recent One Number update; a synopsis of recent dashboard updates; the latest One Number trends and analysis; and what this means for Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Unsheltered Homelessness is a brief report delving into the needs and experiences of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Charlotte Mecklenburg in 2024. This blog post is highlights the key findings of this brief report. Additional information is available in the report linked here.

People experiencing homelessness often have higher rates of chronic illness yet frequently lack access to routine and preventative care. Homeless palliative care is an emerging interdisciplinary field that focuses on improving the quality of life for people who are homeless and at the end of their life but also those who have serious, chronic, and life-limiting illnesses. This is a two-part blog series that will examine homeless palliative care. This blog provides and overview of homeless palliative care and the need in Mecklenburg County. A future blog will explore promising practices and what it would take to address the local need for homeless palliative care.