CHARLOTTE, N.C. — High rents and low housing inventory makes it difficult for some people to find a place to live. In fact, homelessness rates in Mecklenburg County went up by 3% from 2021 to 2022.
Many homeless people lack critical documents like photo identification, making it almost impossible to get much-needed services and benefits, but one grassroots organization called Just Do It Movement is helping unhoused neighbors get the documentation they need to move out of poverty.
Louis Roman has lived on the streets for three years. With little to nothing, being homeless was a fearful and lonely experience.
“Can’t trust nobody outside when I’m sleeping," Roman said.
But there's not where the hardship ends.
“I was born deaf, and raised in a deaf institution,” Roman said.
Throughout the interview with WCNC Charlotte reporter Lexi Wilson, her voice was translated into text shown on his iPhone.
“If I don’t have an interpreter, I use this phone,” Roman said.
While Roman faces challenges, there is good news. With the help of the Just Do It Movement, Roman finally moved off the streets and into housing.
“It means a lot to me because I’ve been struggling for all these years,” he said.
A place of his own, where he no longer feels like a burden to his loved ones.
“I don’t want them to worry about me," Roman said.
“A lot of individuals are homeless because a lot of them have different barriers that aren’t even considered,” said Jessica Gibson, the founder of the Just Do It Movement.
The nonprofit helps educate people, providing resources and skills to help them become self-sufficient. Part of that is obtaining proper identification.
“About 85% of our clients that we serve don’t have identification, so that is one of the biggest barriers for our clients," Gibson said. "You can’t even think about self-sufficiency, housing, employment if you don’t have those documents.”
Roman was one of those people who didn't have identification. Once he got that, over time he was able to find a home.
“Moving into a new place, it changed everything,” Roman said. “It’s a big change for me, I’m so happy."
The Just Do It Movement has been around for about three years. They work closely with several other grass-root organizations. Leaders say that's what makes their work count: when several groups, all focused on different things, come to the table to help each other.
When it comes to challenges to tackling homelessness, Gibson says it's important to follow through with clients, so they stay on the right path.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
This story is part of ‘I Can’t Afford to Live Here,’ a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte.
WCNC Charlotte is part of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (CJC), launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with funding from the Knight Foundation. The CJC strengthens the local news ecosystem and increases opportunities for engagement. It is supported by a combination of local and national grants and sponsorships. For more information, visit charlottejournalism.org.
HOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN CHARLOTTE