CHARLOTTE — U.S. Army veteran Mark Wilcox wrestled with life’s challenges after leaving the military. Originally from Michigan, Wilcox (pictured) fell on hard times after moving to Charlotte and ended up homeless. A local non-profit that works with veterans referred him to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. Soon they helped him find an apartment and furnish it, and they are continuing to assist him while he looks for employment.
Dozens of homeless veterans like Wilcox now have a roof over their head thanks to a new partnership between Catholic Charities, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local assistance agencies.
It all started with the help of a $500,000 Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant from the VA that Catholic Charities received a year ago. With the money, the agency hired two case workers and subcontracted with the Charlotte-based Veterans Bridge Home to provide a range of supportive services to very low-income veterans and their families who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.
Case workers accompany these veterans every step of the way – helping them to find an apartment, including helping them pay application fees and security deposits, utility hook-up fees and other costs that can often be a financial barrier to stable housing. They also help them navigate housing laws and tenant rules, and they connect them to other veterans’ services including VA benefits and health care.
Since that initial grant, Catholic Charities has received an additional $467,000 in federal CARES Act funding through the VA to support homeless veterans and prevent homelessness in veterans who are already housed.
Catholic Charities has placed 32 veterans in apartments and helped another 55 veterans pay their rent and avoid eviction. They have helped another 29 people pay their monthly utilities.
The VA grant does not cover all of what is needed to help move a veteran from homelessness to a home – things like household supplies, appliances, furniture and bedding. To assist with these critical needs, Catholic Charities has received $3,000 in private donations as well as a $4,000 grant from the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Catholic Charities to accelerate these efforts as families already in dire financial need have lost jobs and face eviction or utility shut-offs, and homeless veterans face even greater risks.
CARES Act funding has enabled the agency to temporarily house another 81 homeless veterans in hotel rooms while case workers searched for housing. They have also stepped up their prevention work – rent and utility payments for housed veterans to prevent eviction due to pandemic-related income loss.
When Catholic Charities launched this initiative a year ago, they estimated there were more than 300 known homeless people in Charlotte who could be eligible for this aid and their goal was to help at least 120 of them.
Sandy Buck, Catholic Charities’ Charlotte regional director, is grateful for the funding “to allow us to help the most vulnerable veterans access services and find a place to call home.”
“I have a special place in my heart for our veterans,” Buck said. “They sacrificed so much to protect our freedom and safety. They deserve all the assistance we can provide to support them in their civilian life.”
Wilcox said he is equally thankful. “It’s a blessing that I was connected with Catholic Charities and I am just grateful for them being there.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter