Charlotte Church Transforms Building Into Homes for Homeless Community

A Charlotte church building will soon open its doors as a living space for those without homes. The project adds 21 new apartments to help fix the city's big housing problem.

"[Our church] thought deeply and prayerfully about what it wanted to do that was big and audacious, and we decided to commit this building long term to house our neighbors," said Reverand John Cleghorn to WBTV.

What was once a place for Sunday School classes near Independence Park now offers permanent homes. The units, each spanning 400 square feet, include kitchens and bathrooms. Staff from Roof Above will watch over the building day and night.

People who've spent more than a year without stable housing can apply to live here. The rules say residents must earn less than $37,000 yearly, half of what most Charlotte workers make. They'll spend about a third of their money on housing costs.

"We know in Charlotte there's a conservatively estimated gap of 35,000 affordable housing units. That's across an entire range," Cleghorn said. "So that's from somebody that is on the streets tonight, all the way up to, you know, the working poor."

They picked the name Easter's Home to tell an important story. Old records show the Caldwell family, who started the church in 1922, kept slaves. Easter was one of them.

Dream Key Partners fixed up the old building, which used to give shelter to 100 people at once. New residents will move in when summer comes, with helpers standing by to make the switch easier.

Want to pitch in? The church needs help getting furniture and basic supplies for each apartment. You can give through their website.