Social Well-Being

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force identified college and career readiness as one of three determinants with the greatest influence on an individual’s ability to move up the economic ladder. In other words, to improve economic opportunity in our community, we must improve college- and career-readiness, particularly among children and youth. To do this, we first […]

Charlotte saw a boom of low-cost, single-family subdivisions from the late 1990s until a recession hit in 2007. In a new research article, two scholars conclude that many of those subdivisions, touted as “affordable housing,” did not improve life for the lower-income households who moved in. They characterize the unfortunate outcomes of some of those […]

A little before 10 one hot morning last summer, a few men with clipboards made their way around the crowded lobby at the nonprofit Crisis Assistance Ministry. Men, women and children awaited a turn to tell their stories to agency counselors who – they hoped – could give them enough money to keep the power […]

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and Mecklenburg County Community Support Services on Wednesday, May 23, released Charlotte-Mecklenburg Evictions Part 3: One-month Snapshot of Eviction Court Records. It is the final report in a series describing and providing local context to evictions in Mecklenburg County. To read the full report and access Mecklenburg County’s toolkit on […]

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and Mecklenburg County Community Support Services on Wednesday, May 23, released Charlotte-Mecklenburg Evictions Part 3: One-month Snapshot of Eviction Court Records. It is the final report in a series describing and providing local context to evictions in Mecklenburg County. To read the full report and access Mecklenburg County’s toolkit on […]

Did you know… 10,390 new housing units got permits for construction in Mecklenburg County between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. That’s up 35 percent from the year before. 77 percent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students attended their neighborhood (assigned) school in the 2015-16 school year. In many neighborhoods, nearly all children attend their neighborhood […]

In January 2017, 400 Charlotteans responded to a 15-minute phone survey. The survey was representative of the Mecklenburg County population and, among other questions, asked respondents, “When thinking about Mecklenburg County as a place to live and the opportunities and amenities it provides, how would you rate Mecklenburg County for the following groups of people?” […]

[highlightrule] Thousands of people are evicted in Mecklenburg County each year. Some find new homes, but many turn to couch-surfing, or motels or shelters, caught in a cycle of rising rents, stagnant wages and the cascading effects eviction can have on a family’s financial well-being.[/highlightrule] A pink backpack lies on the sofa. Leaning on a […]

With community discussion and research ongoing around the problem of a lack of economic mobility in Charlotte, a Sept. 27 public lecture by Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer-winning author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, drew such demand that the free public tickets were snapped up in less than 24 hours. Desmond will speak […]

Matthew Desmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, is speaking in Charlotte at a free public lecture at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square. As of Aug. 18, no more general admission seats are available, but a waiting list is created and is being […]