Facility creates 'ordinary' for the homeless

More than a year ago, William Pumphrey was part of a choir that
celebrated the start of construction on an apartment building
to serve the chronically homeless.

He didn't realize then that he was looking at his future home.

Early last week, Pumphrey learned he had earned a spot at the
Moore Place apartments. Then he saw the second-floor apartment
he'll move into early next month.

The news, the 53-year-old said, brought him to his knees.

On Sunday, Pumphrey and the Voices of Love choir were among
hundreds of people marking the grand opening of Moore Place, an
apartment building for 85 people off North Graham Street.

The $10 million facility was funded primarily with privately
raised funds, including gifts from corporate and philanthropic
foundations, the Charlotte Housing Authority, more than 50
local congregations and the John and Pat Moore family. The
effort was led by Charlotte's Urban Ministry Center. The first
eight residents will move in this week, and officials expect
the complex to be full by the end of April.

Plans already are under way to add 35 more apartment units on
the property, said Caroline Chambre, director of Urban Ministry
Center's HousingWorks program.

In recent years, the Urban Ministry has piloted another housing
program that offers people who have been homeless a permanent
place to stay in sites scattered across Charlotte.

But Moore Place is considered a bigger shift in how the city
has addressed the issue of people who are chronically homeless.

Residents will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. The
apartment facility will have on-site case management and
24-hour security.

Moore Place also will offer residents services such as job
training, instruction on how to manage their money and
counseling. A full-time nurse and part-time physician also will
offer health care at the site.

Chambre said the goal is to help residents "go from a life of
chaos to a life of normalcy." She described the effort as not
being extraordinary; rather, a way to "create the ordinary" in
residents' lives.

Pumphrey, who has been homeless on and off for the past 12
years, said Sunday he's not sure he'll ever be able to overcome
all of the issues he's faced in recent years.

But he thinks the services provided by Moore Place will be
immensely important for him and others.

"I feel taken care of, and I haven't even moved in yet," he
said.

Charlotte has an estimated 6,500 people who are homeless. About
10 percent are considered chronic cases, meaning mental illness
or addiction prevents them from finding housing through
traditional programs such as shelters.

Advocates have said providing housing and other services for
the homeless can save millions because it could cut down on
those individuals going to "de-facto shelters" in jails or
emergency rooms.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg leaders approved a "10-year Plan to End
Homelessness" six years ago to create more permanent housing
such as Moore Place.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx on Sunday praised efforts to
complete Moore Place, noting challenges such as a fight over
where to put the apartments. But he said even more housing
facilities are needed.

He urged attendees at the grand opening event to pay attention
to upcoming discussions among the City Council about housing
bonds and a locational policy on where to put affordable
housing.

Foxx said the community needs to find a way to create
additional housing.

"We don't just need Moore Place," he said. "We need more
places."

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Facility creates 'ordinary' for the homeless