How will Charlotte spend $60 million in COVID relief? Residents plea for housing help.

With the latest influx of federal COVID-19 relief aid, Charlotte officials are trying to pinpoint the communities, businesses and nonprofit organizations that deserve a share of the funding.

The Charlotte Observer recently asked readers how they thought the City Council should spend nearly $60 million from the American Rescue Plan. We heard from several dozen of you — and many felt that Charlotte should prioritize rent relief and affordable housing.

Residents say organizations that serve low-income families most deserve this COVID relief funding, along with community resources for people experiencing mental health concerns or domestic abuse. Some respondents also say they want money earmarked for parks and recreation (although that is in county government’s purview).

Thirty-five readers weighed in on the survey about the best funding opportunities for elected officials to consider.

Last month, the City Council explored three main funding categories, plus a slew of smaller investments: homelessness prevention and housing rehabilitation, workforce development and employment, and “community vitality.”

But that is only a rough framework, and the Council has not yet sought out formal public feedback. City Manager Marcus Jones said he will provide an update during the Sept. 7 Council strategy session.

Here is what some Observer readers have to say.

Black homeownership

nykké ford used to be a homeowner in west Charlotte, until she said the city demolished the property in 2009. ford said she had fallen just short of her mortgage agreement to complete certain home repairs and comply with city code enforcement.

She still lives in the same neighborhood — except as a renter, which she chalks up to a “perfect storm with the divestment in Black homeownership.”

A transplant from the Midwest, ford had high hopes when she moved here 25 years ago.

“I just felt like it was a place for a young Black professional and a young family — and it is not,” ford said. “I couldn’t have been more wrong in what I’ve experienced....I actually had to go outside the city to be lifted up professionally.”

That’s why ford, who is finishing her Charlotte Equity Fellowship through the Center for Racial Equity in Education, wants the City Council to look at the root causes of housing instability and then tackle funding solutions to spur home ownership.

ford said Charlotte must support non-traditional and local grassroots organizations, among other agencies, that are equipped to handle cross-cutting factors like mental health. The city needs to dismantle systems that perpetuate racial and other biases, she said.

“Charlotte is a city that likes to write checks, and I think that’s a good start,” ford said. “But we also need to be a city that likes to center solutions.”

‘I just need help’

Efrem Cowper has been on long-term disability since March 9, 2020. He’s on the verge of falling behind on rent.

But so far, Cowper said, he hasn’t managed to secure help, beyond money for his electric bill.

Cowper said he did not qualify for relief through Crisis Assistance Ministry or the state’s Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program.

He’s even written to the city, explaining his troubling financial situation. For now, he’s on a wait-list for assistance.

“I just need help,” Cowper said. “I’m very concerned because I’ve done what I’m supposed to do. I’m just sitting here thinking, ‘How am I going to pay next month’s rent?’ ”

Cowper, 39, said the City Council should invest in rental relief programs tailored for single men like him, without families. Paperwork isn’t the obstacle, but rigid criteria are.

”It’s very important, but I don’t think it can be done overnight,” Cowper said of his request to the City Council. “There are limited to no options for me.”

‘I am in constant fear’

Kymber-Leigh Means knows her hotel room on Tuckaseegee Road is paid for until at least Sept. 1 by RAMPCLT, the local rent, utility and mortgage assistance program.

Means said she has a “little wiggle room” to stay longer, thanks to a sympathetic hotel manager.

But she hasn’t landed a job yet. When COVID hit, her gig at a restaurant in uptown Charlotte fell through.

”I am in constant fear of being homeless, and I know there are women out there who are like this,” Means said. “We are looking at an awful number of evictions.”

Means, who has experienced chronic homelessness for the past decade, said she fears for her safety at current resource centers in Charlotte. She wants the City Council to better support vulnerable women, especially once the eviction moratorium lifts.

”If Charlotte can afford to give all these (developers) tax breaks, why can they take all this money they got for COVID relief and give the women something?” Means asked, urging for an alternative to existing shelters backed by the city budget.

People with COVID -related hardships can apply for rent, mortgage and utility assistance at https://rampclt.com. First priority is given for those with a scheduled eviction court date.

Those with other financial needs can reach Crisis Assistance Ministry at https://www.crisisassistance.org/.

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 10:18 AM.