WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — The urgent housing referral hotline in Wake County is no longer taking live calls. The county says, as of August 1, a funding partnership ended, causing temporary changes in access. This means that people will have to go to a designated center to complete an intake process and get connected with resources, and the South Wilmington Street Center is one place helping with that direct access.


What You Need To Know

  • The urgent housing referral hotline in Wake County is no longer taking live calls

  • As of August 1, a funding partnership ended, causing temporary changes in access

  • This means people will have to go to a designated center to complete an intake process and get connected with resources

  • A manager at the South Wilmington Street Center in Raleigh says this change may make things more efficient

“We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast starts at 6 a.m. Lunch is served at 12:30 p.m., and then dinner is served at 5:30 p.m.,” said Frankie Lawrence, the men’s center manager at South Wilmington Street Center.

The South Wilmington Street Center serves 163 men on a daily basis, and Lawrence says it’s been full, with a waiting list of about 30 people, since May.

“When people come to us, they’re looking for food, shelter, safety and those things that can allow them to be more stable so they can try to address their homelessness effectively,” Lawrence said. “We are one of the unique places where we are able to address the basic needs, daily.”

As someone who has worked at the shelter for almost two decades, Lawrence has seen things change over time. The most recent change involves Wake County’s access hub hotline that connects people to urgent housing resources. Instead of live specialists, callers now hear an automated message.

That message directs people in need of services to go to Oak City Cares or Haven House, both located in Raleigh.

This means that in order to complete the intake process, people have to go in person to a facility. Lawrence says that’s something they already do at South Wilmington.

“We were doing this prior to the coordinated entry system. So we're accustomed to that. We're familiar with it, we have a process for how we do that. We're open 24 hours a day. We have staff available to take calls and assist folks when they show up at our door,” Lawrence said.

He also says this change may actually be beneficial to the process.

“It's going to be an improvement for them actually, more efficient, because there are less steps to go through to get to us so they can come direct to the door and we're going to be able to conduct an intake and get them the services they need immediately,” Lawrence said.

Regardless of how someone is connected with resources, Lawrence says they approach each situation with a similar goal in mind.

“One of the things that we think about at our facility is that we never give up on a person's capacity to change and grow,” Lawrence said.“One of the things that we think about at our facility is that we never give up on a person's capacity to change and grow,” Lawrence said.

The county says, since that partnership ended, it changed requirements to ensure that the $17 million in county funding is still reaching resources that are helping people experiencing homelessness.

“On any given night, there are nearly a thousand people experiencing homelessness in Wake County, half of which are unsheltered and a third of which are families with children. We’re hearing loud and clear from them that the community’s access point to get help and services is broken,” said David Ellis, the Wake County manager. “So, while we actively work with our partners to fix that entry process, we’re making sure our Wake County dollars are still flowing to the people who need them most.”

The county also says it’s actively looking at ways to improve the community’s access point.

The number for that access hub is 919-443-0096. People can also call 211 to get connected with resources.