Mecklenburg County Commissioners received an update Tuesday on its collaboration with a local nonprofit to combat homelessness in the county — and heard there's more work to be done.
A Home for All is led by United Way of Greater Charlotte and focuses on affordable housing preventing displacement and homelessness in the county.
In August, the program was awarded $1.5 million to collaborate with landlords. The goal is to make 600 units available for those with housing barriers through a partnership with Housing Collaborative.
Interim President and CEO Kathryn Firmin-Sellers said the next phase of the plan is street psychiatry, which is set to work with several local partners including Atrium and Alliance Health.
"United Way has been working to convene multiple grassroots providers as well as institutional nonprofits to work together to design an innovative street psychiatry program.
"We will bring vital mental health and substance use services to those who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness, providing on the spot access to mental health and substance use treatment," Firmin-Sellers said.
Firmin-Sellers also said the goal is to lower emergency room use and for people to get off the streets and into housing. That pilot program is projected to begin in January 2025.
