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Hall House Residents and Collaborating Partners
Thank the Community as Project Moves to its Happy Ending
"At one point and time, I did not know where my children and I would go. Hall House really helped to relieve that stress," said Hall House resident Quinetta Brown as she packs to move her family into their own apartment. "My children have had a place to stay and it helped them to be less stressed, too."
On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, the Hall House Project officially came to a close with 78% of its families making their next move into stable housing. Begun last fall, Hall House was a temporary transitional housing program for homeless families located at 426 N. Tryon Street in Charlotte. Primary partners Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA), The Salvation Army, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and A Child's Place say they are pleased with the results.
"This project would not have been a success without all of the partners, support from the City and County, and the countless numbers of people in the Charlotte community who contributed through donations and volunteer time," stated Charlotte Housing Authority President/CEO Charles Woodyard. "The Hall House initiative provided homeless families with a safe place to live until the end of the school year while receiving the services needed to establish a steady income and transition into stable housing. The Housing Authority is proud to have been a part of this collaborative partnership."
Fifty-one of the 69 families living in Hall House moved into apartments with assistance from CHA and Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (DSS). Another Hall House family is working with the WISH nonprofit housing initiative. The 17 remaining families moved to The Salvation Army Center of Hope to continue their work towards housing readiness.
"The Hall House Project has been very successful in moving families from homelessness into stable housing," said Major Todd Hawks, area commander of The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. "The families that need additional support and transitional services will participate in the Center of Hope's existing programs to achieve the goals of having a stable income and permanent housing. Thank you to our partners. Thank you to our donors. You made this possible."
"Mecklenburg County enthusiastically and proudly assisted in the launch of the Hall House Project," said Peter Safir, Homeless Services Director. "This project was launched in response to an overflow demand for beds at the shelters, record high numbers of homeless children in our schools, and a chance to promote and expedite permanent housing solutions for this population. The collaboration among non-profit agencies, local government, the Housing Authority, CMS, the business community, faith based organizations, and advocates enabled Hall House to open promptly and successfully in securing housing for the majority of these residents in less than six months."
"Moving at-risk families to self sufficiency is one of the core missions of the Department of Social Services," said Mary Wilson, Director Department of Social Services. "When we were approached to participate in this program it was perfect timing for the launch of our community social work unit in our Community Resource Division. With the assistance of DSS supportive services this project has exceeded its goal and will be moving 75% of the families into stable housing. We will continue to work with these families for one year to ensure their success."
CMS Assistant Superintendent for PreK-12 Support Services Barbara J. Pellin added, "We know firsthand how homelessness affects children and their education. So, we were glad to be a major partner in Hall House, contributing to the project's success through overall support, parent classes through Parent University and after school programming in partnership with P.O.S.T."
A Child's Place Executive Director Annabelle Suddreth concluded, "Having 179 homeless children in safe, warm, stable Hall House through the end of the school year was truly a gift. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials are to be commended for their hard work coordinating transportation for the children to 36 different schools each day. From donations of household goods and funding to hours of work on facility readiness, meals and children's activities, members from every corner of the Charlotte community participated in making the Hall House Project first a reality and then a success. We know from their smiling faces and happy chatter that the children enjoyed their Hall House experience. On their behalf, we can't say thank you enough."
Each of the Hall House collaborating agencies took a specific role in the project:
- Charlotte Housing Authority, facility management and housing support;
- The Salvation Army, program management and resident identification;
- Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, social work case management and housing support;
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, children's transportation and parent education; and
- A Child's Place, fiscal management and resident identification.
Now that all of the families have moved, CHA plans to put Hall House back on the market. The proceeds from its sale will be used to build low income housing in areas of Mecklenburg County better suited to family residences.
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