CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A newly released Mecklenburg County report shows homelessness is increasing with the rising costs of housing.
The 2022 State of Housing Instability and Homelessness shows the homeless population went from 3,171 in October 2021 to 3,260 in October 2022.
Jeff Hairston has been homeless for two years in Charlotte. He visits the Roof Above Day Services Center for lunch often.
“No one, I don’t think, ever expects or wants to be in a bad situation, but it’s not the situation, it’s how you handle it,” Hairston said.
He said he was a truck driver until he had disqualifications on his commercial driver’s license.
“I’ve been in a struggle to fix my CDL with the DMV, so it kind of left me where I am right now,” Hairston said.
He said he’s been drug-free for over three years and is continuing his recovery while living on the streets.
“I’m fighting it, I’m dealing with it. You know I have a strong spirit,” Hairston said.
Roof Above’s CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly has noticed the impact of the increase in homelessness at their shelters.
“We are seeing more people coming to us seeking services and more people homeless and what we are seeing on the front lines is homeless for the first time in their lives,” Clasen-Kelly said.
The report also states people are staying longer at shelters, from 109 days in fiscal year 2020 to 126 days in fiscal year 2021.
Clasen-Kelly said there is a disconnect between wages and rising housing costs.
“We are seeing more people who are elderly in our shelters, more folks with disabilities, so their income isn’t enough to afford the housing that exists. We are also seeing folks that are working and are working generally at better wages than we’ve seen in the past, but even those wages aren’t enough to afford the housing in our community,” Clasen-Kelly said.
Hairston is sleeping on the streets, but he said he stayed at shelters before for up to six months.
From his perspective, Charlotte has enough resources to prevent homelessness.
“To me it’s a crisis that can be eradicated,” Hairston said.
Hairston said returning to truck driving would help him get back on his feet.
“Don’t look at me being homeless. Don’t look me at me being this, being that, a convict or whatever, look at me as a human being who made mistakes and is trying to get it together,” Hairston said.
The report shows 42% of workers in Mecklenburg County make $15 an hour or less while the average monthly rent increased 28% over the last 10 years. The median Charlotte rent, according to Zillow, is $1,968.