We are thrilled to announce a $500,000 gift from the Duke Energy Foundation to foster the development of supportive housing for people who have been chronically homeless for a year or longer.
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$500,000 Gift from Duke Energy Foundation Helps Expand Supportive Housing
The gift will go toward our efforts to replicate the success of Moore Place, our 120-unit apartment community that provides housing and on-site services to address issues that can hamper residents’ ability to keep housing. Moore Place has a retention rate of more than 85% and has dramatically decreased the frequency and cost of emergency room treatment for those who become residents.
“We know permanent housing with on-site supportive services can end chronic homelessness, and we are so grateful for Duke Energy Foundation’s investment in this proven strategy,” said Roof Above CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly. “This gift will not only will help our most vulnerable citizens but also will benefit our larger community.”
The Duke Energy Foundation hopes its investment will prompt other donors to rally around the development of supportive housing with additional funding. In appreciation, Roof Above will name learning labs for Duke Energy at its emergency shelter under construction on Statesville Avenue and at its next supportive housing project.
“This work would be impossible without philanthropists and corporate partners like Duke Energy who are willing to take on what we believe is one of Charlotte’s most pressing issues,” Clasen-Kelly said.
“Providing support for chronic homelessness is an important part of powering the vitality of our communities”, said Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, Stephen De May. “We want to be part of solutions to help create equal access opportunities for our local community.”
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One year has passed since Urban Ministry Center and Men’s Shelter of Charlotte joined forces as a single organization to have a greater impact on our mission to end homelessness. Now we are proud to announce our new name: Roof Above!
We are excited to move forward with a name that describes our combined work in a simple and aspirational way. “Roof Above” tells you what we do. Whether through our shelters or our housing programs, we are committed to providing the safety, protection, and dignity of a roof above. “Roof Above” is also meant to serve as an aspirational call to what we want everyone in our community to have – above all else, the simple comfort of a roof to call one’s own.
In the days ahead, you will see us begin to replace all Urban Ministry Center and Men’s Shelter of Charlotte brands with Roof Above, including our new website – RoofAbove.org – to be fully introduced in the coming months.
Please follow us on social media (@RoofAbove): Facebook/RoofAbove, Twitter/RoofAbove, Instagram/RoofAbove
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$1 Million Howard R. Levine Foundation Gift Enables Groundbreaking for Shelter
We are excited to break ground this week (May 4-8) on a new emergency homeless shelter after receiving a generous $1 million gift from the Howard R. Levine Foundation. In recognition of the significance of the gift, the new shelter will be named in Mr. Levine’s honor. The $4.4 million project is needed to replace the current shelter located at 3410 Statesville Avenue, and the Levine gift has provided the leverage needed to begin the project.
The newly constructed shelter will replace the existing aging and inadequate facility on the same property. The old warehouse converted for an emergency winter shelter in 2005, was designed to meet only the most basic needs – a place for men to stay warm, dry and clean.
The new shelter will be designed not just to meet the basic needs of its guests, but also to help men emerge from homelessness with office space for on-site case management for housing and employment services. The new facility will also add a cooking kitchen, guest laundry services, and a group room for classes and a mobile computer lab. The new shelter will mimic the recently renovated N. Tryon facility, with most beds in sleeping pods, creating a more private and distanced environment.
Other major funders for the project include Honeywell ($500,000 announced earlier this year), Springsteen Family Foundation, and The Lucille P. & Edward C. Giles Foundation. North Carolina Housing Finance Agency is supporting the project with a $500,000 loan and Charlotte City Council recently approved a $800,000 grant from the City’s Housing Trust Fund. Construction is estimated to take nine months, with the expectation of guests being able to move in at the end of next winter. Read the full press release here.
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