Why It Matters

What Drives Our Work

Lack of affordable housing
48% of renters in Mecklenburg County have difficulty affording their homes. PLUS low-cost housing for low-income households accounts for just 12% of all housing in the county.
A stagnant minimum wage
Median monthly rent has increased 30% while minimum wage has stayed stagnant. Families need an hourly wage of $26/hour to afford a fair market rent apartment, and yet the minimum wage in North Carolina remains just $7.25/hour – putting housing out of reach for many.
Increasing homelessness
More than 2,900 individuals in Mecklenburg County are actively experiencing homelessness – more than ever before. This issue disproportionately affects individuals of color: 75% of Mecklenburg County individuals experiencing homelessness are Black, African American or African.
Sources: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing & Homelessness Data FactSheet 2024, 2024 Charlotte-Mecklenburg State of Housing Instability & Homelessness

For more information, check out the following resources:

The 2025 Housing Need in North Carolina, courtesy of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, offers data on the cost of housing compared to income and minimum wage in the state.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg State of Housing Instability & Homelessness report provides a single, dedicated compilation of all the latest data on housing instability and homelessness pertaining to Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Our Work Toward
Economic Mobility

Charlotte ranks 38th out of 50 large cities for economic mobility.

In 2014, a Harvard University/University of California, Berkeley study found that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg metro area ranked 50th out of 50 large cities for economic mobility. This means that children born into poverty in Charlotte are very likely to remain in poverty for the rest of their lives.

In response to this study, Charlotte took action. Ten years later, a new study noted significant progress: Charlotte now ranks 38th out of 50.

This shift is due, in large part, to the work of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Economic Opportunity Task Force (and now Leading on Opportunity), which was formed to investigate why the odds of moving out of poverty are so low for children born in our county.

Based on the findings, the task force recommended a plan of action to change this long-standing situation, which includes strategies to promote early care and education, college and career readiness, child and family stability, and social capital – areas that are fundamental to the work we do at Charlotte Family Housing.

That plan is working.

Here is what Charlotte Family Housing is doing to help.

Need support?

If you and your family are in need of housing, please fill out our brief online application to see if our program is right for you.

Additional Resources

The Charlotte Family Housing team is constantly seeking new information about the issues affecting our communities and families experiencing homelessness. In our role as advocates, we believe in the process of increasing awareness through sharing insight and education.

Here, we’ve included some of our latest recommended books, articles, documentaries, and podcasts.
What happened to you by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey
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There is no Place for Us by Brian Goldstone
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The Color of the Law by Richard Rothstein
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