MINT HILL, N.C. — The Home Again Foundation is planning to build two affordable housing communities in the Charlotte area for veterans.
The local nonprofit built an eight-cottage community in north Charlotte in 2021 for people facing or at risk of homelessness. Now, Home Again is looking to expand by building new affordable housing communities in Mint Hill and Matthews.
The latest data from Mecklenburg County shows there are about 2,700 people facing homelessness in the county and 7% of those people are veterans.
The north Charlotte community, called Small Beginnings, offers affordable rent and wrap-around services for its tenants. Half of the tenants are veterans.
"I enjoy it, I ain’t going nowhere," renter Willie Jones said before laughing. He added that Home Again helped him get on his feet after moving in three years ago.
"I’m a veteran and I was kind of homeless," he shared.
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Veteran Joe Finkenbinder runs maintenance for the Home Again community. He said most vets don’t get the help they need.
"That’s why 22 veterans a day are killing themselves, you know, they're not getting the support," Finkerbinder explained.
Home Again hopes to provide some of that support with the future communities.
"If someone has served our country and risked their lives for our country, they should not have to spend time on the street," Rick Gilbert, Executive Director of Home Again, told WCNC Charlotte's Julia Kauffman.
The nonprofit was gifted land in Mint Hill and is buying property in Matthews to make the communities happen. Each property could have around 16 units depending on each town's zoning requirements.
Home Again hopes to be awarded money from the town of Matthews at the end of June to help with the project. The group is also the beneficiary of an upcoming 5K walk and run hosted by the Canopy Housing Foundation. The walk will be on Oct. 19 at McAlpine Creek Park.
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