Charlotte respite for the homeless in jeopardy of permanently closing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - For 18 years, the Samaritan House in Charlotte has been a place for those who are homeless to stay after a hospital visit.

As of April 2023, the non-profit is temporarily closed.

Rodney Tucker, the executive director at Samaritan House, is hoping the closure doesn’t become permanent.

“It’s been awful being closed. We’re averaging probably 10 to 15 calls per day of folks that are looking for housing or social workers that are looking for housing for folks that are in the hospital. It’s just sad having to say no over and over again,” Tucker said.

Tucker said the Samaritan House’s board of directors has announced a campaign called “Save Our Home” in an effort to raise enough money to make repairs to the building and officially reopen it. The campaign’s goal is to raise $200,000 by July 2023.

“Samaritan House is the only option for homeless folks exiting the hospital right now. We lost a lot of our volunteers, our funding levels dropped, and then we experienced a few capital campaign issues that were not budgeted. We had plumbing issues that happened and then as we came to spring we had some issues with our HVAC system that put us at a cash deficit,” said Tucker.

Tucker added that over the years, staff at the house have helped over 1,800 people by providing food, toiletries, and clothing. He also shared some of the home’s former clients received care while battling illnesses, including serious ones like cancer.

The executive director fears that if the money isn’t raised, Samaritan House will be forced to shut down entirely.

“If people get released too early and go into the shelter or into the streets, they tend to go back to the hospital. We’re hoping this is a really short process to get back open,” said Tucker.

To learn more about Samaritan House and how to donate to their campaign, visit their website.

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