Charlotte housing activist told to vacate home. He says he’s doing nothing wrong
City inspectors told a local housing activist to vacate one of his north Charlotte homes because they said it violated zoning laws. He said he’s doing nothing wrong.
Charlotte Code Enforcement told Cedric Dean in a letter on June 26 that he did not receive zoning approval to run a group home at a Concordia Avenue property. The Charlotte Observer obtained that letter through a public record request.
He either needed to stop or obtain permits to continue letting people into the home within 30 days, the violation notice said.
Further information was not immediately available from the city. In interviews, Dean discussed what he’s doing with the homes, which he said are places where homeless people can get help.
Dean captured headlines after he was released from prison in 2017 after serving 28 years on drug charges. He’s since become an activist in Charlotte, running a substance abuse recovery program called Heal Empower Love and Protect.
In April, the HELP program moved into a Baymont Inn hotel on Equipment Drive in north Charlotte after another local nonprofit, Heal Charlotte, moved out. Heal Charlotte, a transitional housing program, received American Rescue Plan Act funding in 2023 from the city to provide housing and programs at the Baymont Inn. But after it was unable to secure funding to renew the lease, the program left in April.
In June, Dean moved his program and people out of the hotel about two weeks after a woman and a baby were found dead in their room. He cited safety concerns.
Short-term shelter
Dean told The Charlotte Observer in June he moved people from the hotel back into ten homes located in Charlotte and Shelby. His substance abuse programs previously ran out of those homes, he said. And now, the majority of people are in extended stay hotels, he said.
He disputed the city’s characterization of the home on Concordia Avenue. It isn’t a “group home,” he said, but rather a place for people who need to use the bathroom, take a shower, or get a break from harsh weather. They can use the facilities for up to 12 hours, he said.
“We do whatever is medically necessary,” he said in an interview Monday. “Sleep may be medically necessary, so if a person needs to lay down in the bed for three or four hours, we allow them to do that.”
He said he began opening homes to people after the Charlotte City Council in 2024 passed an ordinance criminalizing public urination, panhandling, and sleeping in public parks. He said the city of Charlotte has failed people experiencing homelessness and he is trying to help them by giving them temporary access to homes.
Neither the city government nor Dean would disclose the locations of all the homes Dean referenced.
Dean says issue has been resolved
Code Enforcement visited a different home on Coronet Way in north Charlotte last week, Dean said, alleging he was running a group home.
Dean was out of town when the Code Enforcement officer visited, and Dean said he spoke to them by phone. He said he explained the home wasn’t a “group home,” but instead provides the same things as the Concordia Avenue home. He said he also provided city officials with documents, including sign-in sheets people have to sign on his website before entering the homes.
He said he told the official the homes have signs posted, stating “This is NOT a Group Home.” In black and red letters, the signs also say the homes are available to “PATIENTS ONLY” for up to 12 hours. The signs say say people may use the showers, beds, and toilets inside.
Dean said a code enforcement officer went to two of the homes, saw the signs, and left without further action.
The Charlotte Observer has reached out to Charlotte Code Enforcement to ask for more information about Dean’s claims, the status of the code enforcement investigation of the Concordia Avenue home, and any other homes Dean is involved with.
Isabella Cherney, a senior communications specialist with the city of Charlotte, said city officials would provide more information later this week.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
