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.

The Housing First Model addresses homelessness by offering households housing without preconditions such as sobriety, employment, or treatment requirements. Supportive services such as case management, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and employment assistance are made available in tandem with the housing, to support households in stabilizing and working towards self-determined goals. A recently released report co-authored by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) and the University of Pennsylvania estimates the cost of providing housing using the Housing First Model to all households experiencing sheltered homelessness in the United States. This blog provides an overview of the report, highlighting the estimated need and policy considerations for addressing the identified gap.

Last week, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) released A Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration 2.0. The toolkit which was first released in 2020, helps organizations mitigate bias in data practices. Version 2.0 expands this work by adding strategies for handling Race, Ethnicity, Language, Disability (RELD) and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGIE) data, working with Tribal Data, and managing risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). In addition the updated toolkit provides a companion workbook and provides additional examples of Work in Action. Charlotte-Mecklenburg is one of the communities featured as a Work in Action example. This blog provides an overview of the toolkit and highlights the Charlotte-Mecklenburg's featured work.

Housing instability and homelessness increase a household’s risk for a variety of physical, mental, social, and financial challenges. In addition, those most likely to experience homelessness and housing instability are also more likely to be socially vulnerable to the impact of disasters. To assess the capacity of households to absorb the stresses associated with the impact of a disaster, the United States Census Bureau has developed the Community Resilience Estimate. This blog provides an overview of the Community Resilience Estimate (CRE), local and state estimates, and how the CRE could inform decision-making 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.

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 recently released NAEH Housing Focused Street Outreach Framework, how four cities are approaching the affordable housing shortage, and an innovative program that seeks to decrease housing instability among essential workers.

On January 7, 2025 Mecklenburg County Community Support Services released the 2024 State of Housing Instability and Homelessness report. This annual report compiles the most recent data on housing instability and homelessness for Charlotte-Mecklenburg by synthesizing local, regional, and national data on the full housing continuum (from housing instability to homelessness to stable, permanent, affordable housing). The SOHIH report serves as a knowledge base for all stakeholders to inform policy and practice decisions, optimize resource allocation, plan integrated systems of care, and drive advocacy efforts. The report explores three key components of the housing continuum: housing instability, homelessness, and stable housing. This blog is the first in a series of three blogs will take a deeper dive into each of these components. This blog post takes a deeper dive into the findings from the third and final theme: stable housing. It also shares examples of promising practices and what can be done locally ensure stable housing for all Mecklenburg County residents.

On January 7, 2025 Mecklenburg County Community Support Services  released the 2024 State of Housing Instability and Homelessness report. This annual report compiles the most recent data on housing instability and homelessness for Charlotte-Mecklenburg by synthesizing local, regional, and national data on the full housing continuum (from housing instability to homelessness to stable, permanent, affordable housing). The SOHIH report serves as a knowledge base for all stakeholders to inform policy and practice decisions, optimize resource allocation, plan integrated systems of care, and drive advocacy efforts. The report explores three key components of the housing continuum: housing instability, homelessness, and stable housing. This blog is the first in a series of three blogs will take a deeper dive into each of these components. This blog post takes a deeper dive into the findings from the second theme: homelessness. It also shares examples of promising practices and what can be done locally to address homelessness.