Several families on the brink of being unhoused gathered in uptown Charlotte on Monday, asking for more transparency about housing support intended to keep them sheltered.
Some residents at the Baymont motel, in northeast Charlotte’s Sugar Creek area, have had to leave after a city-funded program ended. Others who could continue to afford the rent were able to stay. LeVonte Cuspert is one of them, and she came to speak out on behalf of other families.
"If we don't do anything and say anything now, how is it gonna change?" Cuspert said. "Because — guess what — even if I become stable and get stable housing, it's gonna be another mother out there, or another mother and their grandparents and their kids out there [homeless].”
In 2023, the city provided Heal Charlotte with a $2.25 million grant, which enabled Heal Charlotte to lease the motel. The funds were part of a $6.5 million funding budget from the American Rescue Plan Act that the city says was "specifically designed to support small/emerging non-profits advance work related to housing and homelessness."
In April of this year, Heal Charlotte's lease ended, leaving about 50 families still living at the site at that time, according to the city. City officials said 60 out of the 120 rooms were funded through the grant.
In a statement provided by Heal Charlotte earlier this month, the group said: "At the conclusion of our contract, Heal Charlotte fulfilled every obligation, vacated the premises, removed all signage, and ended all engagement with the Baymont Inn. We are now focused on the future — building new partnerships, acquiring new properties, and continuing to serve families with dignity, integrity, and transparency."
Apryl Lewis is a community advocate who spoke on behalf of residents from the motel.
“I want us to have hard discussions so that we can push through with real solutions and have a better coordinated effort to address something that affects us all greatly," said Lewis. "It's a constant issue of families being displaced. And I really want people to understand that it goes beyond that they can't afford it or somebody wants to sell — that's all right and true. However, people deserve dignity.”
In a statement to WFAE, the city said groups had been informed that the grants were “one-time funds” and were required to submit a plan to ensure their program could continue beyond the city funding period.
