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Roof Above Eyes Expansion Of Supportive Housing Program

Liz Clasen-Kelly, CEO of Roof Above, outside Moore Place, supportive housing apartments in Charlotte's North End.
David Boraks
/
WFAE
Liz Clasen-Kelly, CEO of Roof Above, outside Moore Place, supportive housing apartments in Charlotte's North End.

One of Charlotte's main homeless shelter operators is planning to expand its permanent housing program. Roof Above, formed last year by the merger of the Urban Ministry Center and Men's Shelter of Charlotte, plans to add more of what's called "supportive housing."  

 

These are apartment units or entire complexes that come with social and medical services, addiction recovery services, and other support to help people stay in their homes. 

 

A $500,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation will start the ball rolling, said Roof Above CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly.    

 

"We don't have specifics on the announcement of how it will be used yet, but it will be used to create more housing for people with long-term experiences of homelessness," Clasen-Kelly said. 

 

That could be housing units scattered around the city, with support services attached. Or it could look more like Moore Place, a 120-unit supportive housing apartment building that A Roof Above has run in Charlotte's North End for eight years.

 

A previous effort to build a complex on the West Side failed amid community opposition. Clasen-Kelly said they're continuing to look for sites. 

 

 

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David Boraks previously covered climate change and the environment for WFAE. See more at www.wfae.org/climate-news. He also has covered housing and homelessness, energy and the environment, transportation and business.