You can help make a difference at the federal level. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has called for a national eviction moratorium until the pandemic is over, in combination with at least $100 billion in federal emergency rental assistance to both tenants and landlords. Without significant financial assistance from the federal government to help renters (and those who are renting to them), the eviction moratorium merely postpones the inevitable. It is estimated that there is over $70 billion in back owed rent, utilities, and other housing expenses as of January 2021. With only 1 in 4 renters being eligible to receive federal housing assistance pre-pandemic, it is vital that more resources be deployed so that every household who needs assistance can have access to it. To learn more about how to advocate for additional housing resources including templates for you to use to contact your legislators, click here.

Use this toolkit to talk about issues related to housing and homelessness with adult family members, friends and colleagues. Want to engage your kids? Check out the special toolkit designed for children and youth.

This blog post provides a “top five” reading list to learn more about housing instability and homelessness, including a brief overview; why you should read the report; and what each item listed means for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. These “top five” also share housing solutions to address the gaps between housing cost and what households can afford.

Housing and homelessness issues intersect with the work of elected officials on boards including the Charlotte City Council, Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. In order to be effective and sustainable, solutions to address housing instability and homelessness must transcend the work of all public sectors. Attend board meetings to listen to the discussions, be part of the solution, and advocate for positive change. Click here to access all information in one place.

Use #EverybodyCountsCLT hashtag to share information about the Point-in-Time Count