Charlotte leaders set to use $4M for rental assistance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – The Charlotte City Council is set to take nearly $4 million from the American Rescue Plan and set it aside for rental assistance.

This money will help out in the event a large apartment complex or an extended-stay motel ends up shutting down.

This has happened a couple times over the past few years. Most recently, more than 80 seniors were displaced by an apartment flood on Christmas Day at Magnolia Senior Apartments on Beatties Ford Road. It could take up to nine months to complete the repairs.

Related: Hotel stay for displaced Charlotte senior citizens extended through February

Mecklenburg County is paying for those seniors to stay in hotels through the end of February.

Last year, the Southern Comfort Inn, a motel in west Charlotte that opened its doors to families struggling financially, was forced to shut down because so many weren’t paying their rent.

It forced dozens of families out. The city and a couple of non-profits helped find other hotels willing to take them on such short notice and helped pay some of those initial expenses.

These are the types of situations this additional $4 million will help out with, giving the city and those at risk of homelessness a little more breathing room.

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