Permanent Supportive Housing for the chronically homeless has been working in communities across the country since the early 1980s. We have visited programs in New York, Seattle, and Salt Lake City and spoke to experts from across the country to find best practices to bring to Charlotte. All these communities have found that housing the chronically homeless saves communities money and saves lives. With few shelter beds available, the chronically homeless often end up in jail for nonviolent offenses (trespassing, public urination) or in emergency rooms with pneumonia, foot infections or unchecked chronic diseases as a result of living on the streets. Both of these are much more expensive than housing and have no positive results for the homeless or our community. A jail cell cost $110 per night in Charlotte and the average emergency room visit is $1024. Permanent Supportive Housing costs about $29 per night and both the homeless individual and the community receive positive outcomes. In addition, two long-term government studies have shown that more than 83% of the homeless individuals placed in supportive housing have remained in permanent housing and have reintegrated into mainstream society.

The Urban Ministry Center has created a pilot program, Homeless to Homes, in Charlotte to try the idea before launching a full-scale program, and we have seen the same results that other cities have seen. Find out about Homeless to Homes (link)

• Seattle Saves $4 million