http://66.225.205.104/LM20110630a.mp3
Three Charlotte non-profits are merging to more efficiently help homeless families find permanent housing. Charlotte Emergency Housing, Family Promise and the WISH Program all help homeless families find housing and a path to self-sufficiency. Up until now, they were going about their work separately. Darren Ash, the head of the newly-formed Charlotte Family Housing, says it became more and more apparent the groups should merge. "We saw this increased need of families falling into homelessness and we knew we needed to create as efficient and effective a system for serving these families as we could," say Ash. Charlotte saw the number of homeless families jump 36 percent last year. Compounding the problem, most shelters only accept women and children or just single men. The new organization will keep open Charlotte Emergency Housing's (pictured) shelter. Lawanda Horne and her four kids are among 14 families currently staying there. She lost her job recently and has been dealing with health problems. Without the shelter Horne says her options are limited. "I probably be bouncing from house-to-house with family or probably be on the street," says Horne. The new organization will also maintain Family Promise's extensive church network and the WISH Program's expertise in guiding families out of homelessness. Together as Charlotte Family Housing, the group expects to serve about 200 families a year.