Where Charlotte’s unhoused can find warmth as winter arrives
As winter arrives and temperatures begin to drop, nonprofits are working to ensure that Charlotte’s unhoused population has a warm place to stay.
According to the 2024 point-in-time county survey, 384 people were considered unhoused in Mecklenburg County — meaning they were sleeping outside and not in a shelter.
There are many misconceptions about those who find themselves bearing the winter cold as opposed to staying in a shelter, advocates for the unhoused say.
Some assume that addictions or mental health struggles lead to people being on the streets, says Randal Hitt, the vice president of unsheltered services at Roof Above. But the reality for many is that for many, the need for shelter greatly outpaces its availability.
Most of Roof Above’s three homeless shelters are consistently at full capacity with wait lists in the dozens. Many nights there could be up to 75 people competing for a handful of available shelter beds, he said.
While it’s a much smaller population of people, there are some unhoused individuals who stay outside in the winter by choice. But their reasons are deeper than many may assume.
“For some of these folks who have been chronically homeless and out there for a long time, that becomes their community and so breaking that cycle and helping them to see that there is something better takes time,” said Maj. Andrew Wiley of the Salvation Army Center of Hope.
Deborah Phillips, executive director of Block Love CLT said there are some individuals who have concerns about safety while staying in shelters.
“Some folks have experienced where they had items taken from them. Some individuals have had fights or been targeted because they are very vulnerable,” Phillips said.
As winter approaches, here are some options for the unhoused for day and night shelters in the Charlotte area:
Roof Above
Each winter from December 1 through March 31, Roof Above administers the Room in the Inn program.
This program is designed in partnership with local nonprofits and churches to give the unhoused a safe and warm place to stay during the winter. The program currently has about 60 partners who provide 125 to 140 beds each night.
Unhoused individuals can sign up for the program’s wait list in person at the Roof Above Day Services Center located at 945 N College St, Charlotte, or call the center to sign up at (704) 347-0278. By 2 p.m. each day, the organization will post a list notifying individuals if they’ve secured a bed.
Roof Above also has three shelters available for men. The emergency shelter at the Lucille Giles Center, located at 3410 Statesville Avenue, is open every night and has 138 beds.
The organization’s shelters located on Tryon Street and Statesville Avenue have 258 and 164 beds respectively. But each location requires guests to sign up for a daily waitlist.
Salvation Army
When the temperatures get down to 32 degrees or below, the Salvation Army Center of Hope provides shelter for up to 34 women and children.
Guests can arrive at the center starting at 3 p.m. and cots will be set up in the multipurpose room.
To support these efforts, the Center of Hope is in need of sheets and blankets. Donations of these items can be dropped off at 534 Spratt St., Charlotte, or ship items to the administrative office at 4015 Stuart Andrew Boulevard.
BlockLoveCLT
BlockLoveCLT, which provides essential resources to the unhoused, has a day service center available for people to escape the winter cold. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
When temperatures drop, the center serves as a warming station and could extend hours until 10 p.m.
When resources are available, BlockLoveCLT also provides items like adequate tents, winter weather sleeping bags, blankets, and handwarmers.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 5:00 AM.