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‘We understood we were in crisis’ Heal Charlotte works to provide a creative means to affordable housing

The local non-profit started a fundraiser to buy neglected motels then renovate and transform them into safe and healthy living spaces

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Affordable housing continues to be an issue throughout Charlotte. Now a local non-profit organization known as Heal Charlotte kickstarted a capital campaign to raise nearly $10 million and help bring a potential solution to the housing problem.

Through grassroots fundraising, the goal is to buy neglected motels along Reagan Drive near Interstate 85 and Sugar Creek Road then renovate and transform the motels into an affordable housing campus for low-income families.

“I personally have a lot of youth that are in our program that stay in those motels so for me personally as a mentor it was a personal mission to be able to get these children to safe and healthy living environments,” Heal Charlotte Founder Greg Jackson said.

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The vision is for the affordable housing campus to include a learning center, a café, and job opportunities for those who live there. But Jackson says the vision can only become a reality if the community is willing to invest into it.

“I think this is the opportune time to invest in Black organizations that are looking into Black ownership.”

Back in 2016, Jackson founded Heal Charlotte to bring hope, help and opportunity to the communities that need it most. Now, the organization is continuing that mission this time near the Sugar Creek Corridor—an area that’s known to have its issues.

“We saw prostitution, drugs, criminal behavior, we also saw human trafficking rings,” Jackson said.

Yet with the help of neighborhood revitalization, Jackson hopes that will all change because he believes the future for the children depends on it.

“The reason why we’re so focused on changing the neighborhood is for the generation after us.”

Learn more about how you can donate to the Capital Campaign. Heal Charlotte also said they plan to announce next week how much money has been raised so far.

RELATED: Mecklenburg County report shows impact of COVID-19 on the housing market

 

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