North Mecklenburg H.E.L.P.

H.E.L.P. (North Mecklenburg County) Action Agenda

On April 14^th, 2009, after a listening campaign conducted by 15 congregations, neighborhoods and associations in North Mecklenburg County and reaching 811 people, representatives from 13 of those groups met at Davidson Presbyterian Church to announce the results of the campaign, and to ratify 4 issue areas on which these groups will work together .  The following presents a summary of the issues identified under each broad category.  Members of H.E.L.P. are mindful that there is a great deal of overlap regarding the broader issues.

On January 13, 2009, 132 leaders representing 20 congregations, associations and neighborhoods met at Community in Christ Lutheran Church in Cornelius and set the wheels in motion to launch a Lenten Listening Campaign that heard the concerns of 811 members of the respective communities and groups involved.  Out of that campaign, a multi-issue agenda was identified and ratified.  The issue areas identified are:

• Youth/Education;
• Seniors;
• Traffic and Transit;
• The Economy.

Youth/Education

Issues: Middle-school and high-school aged youth are vulnerable to emotionally overwhelming pressures.  In times of economic hardship, such as we are currently experiencing, those pressures are more widespread and intense, both at home and at school.  What (and where) are the “safety net” resources for our youth?  In North Mecklenburg County (“NMC”), middle and high-school age youth have fewer options for out-of-school activities than elementary-school aged children.  Likewise, there are very few recreation center options for youth in NMC.  For those youth who may participate in high school athletics, there are hundreds of others who have not made teams and must find alternative activities.  Often those activities, such as “club” sports teams, are expensive. Additionally, those activities are seasonal, which means they are not available year round.  According to one source, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on school days in Mecklenburg County is when most juvenile crime is committed.  Idle youth often find their way into trouble, yet government-sponsored job training and placement programs are limited to the City of Charlotte, and with a county unemployment rate at 10.6 % and a negative job growth rate, opportunities for work for our youth are limited (source: Sperling’s Best Places).  Additionally, limited public transportation options often make participating in such programs in Charlotte prohibitive.

Seniors

Issues: The senior citizen population in NMC is increasing each year. By 2010, 30% of North Mecklenburg’s population will be over the age of 50, and 10% will be over the age of 67 (source: Town of Davidson: Aging in Place Task Force Final Report, January, 2008).  Seniors are retiring here for multiple reasons which include the desire to be close to family or to move back to their hometowns, and to have a higher quality of life than in other areas of the country. According to Davidson’s Aging in Place Task Force, North Carolina, as a state, is ranked 3^rd nationally for the number of people 60 years old or older moving here.  The economy has certainly affected the quality of life for many seniors in NMC, who are living on fixed incomes.  The recession has affected retirement plans and savings, and many are facing depleted pocketbooks due to the economic downturn and the high oil/gas prices that were in place last year.  Basic home repair (roof repair, window replacement, insulation, etc.) is deferred because of financial concerns, which, in turn, leads to a higher cost of living due to the resulting energy inefficiency.

Traffic and Transit

Issues: Many areas in each of the three townships are not pedestrian friendly.  There are countless thoroughfares without sidewalks, bike paths or both, as well as numerous “sidewalks to nowhere.”  With the increase in population to the region, traffic has increased, leading to congested intersections and inadequate roadways which lead to major and minor accidents, excessive speeding, and other incidents most inhospitable.  As noted elsewhere, these inadequacies affect our youngest and our oldest drivers, as well as those who are unable to drive and must make alternative arrangements.

Economy

Issues: More people in NMC are losing jobs, experiencing furloughs or having their hours cut back due to the current economic picture.   This circumstance adds to the numbers of working poor, displaced homemakers (due to divorce, widowhood, or abuse), single parent families, and seniors whose financial struggles have increased.  A recent series in the Charlotte Observer highlighted the lack of housing for the homeless and near homeless.  In NMC, we believe the only housing at this price point is Hope House, which recently opened in Huntersville, and it provides only transitional housing for a small number of women and children. There is no subsidized housing in NMC, and little or no housing options for $500 a month or less.  Affordable housing and services (such as job training, resume writing, counseling, DSS services, health and dental services, etc.) for the near homeless or homeless in NMC are inadequate.