00:29 Welcome Back, Liz and Maya celebrate 18 episodes of Authentic Conversations.

03:15 Meet Mark Etheridge

6:00 Mark reflects on financing apartment acquisitions during the mid-2010s and the growing concern about displacement and loss of naturally affordable housing

08:25 The table discusses Charlotte's housing cycles and how many "luxury apartments" of the 1970s became today's affordable housing stock.

10:19 Mark drops a gem “82% of the housing in the country is Market rate, unrestricted, unincumbered”

11:03 Liz shares a powerful analogy comparing affordable housing preservation to used cars. “you can’t build a used car”

13:40 The table discusses replacement costs, inflation, and why older apartments are irreplaceable community assets

15:02 Mark drops a gem, “We have to stop bleeding of what we’re losing. Preservation has to be a part of the story.”

15:07 Mark shares, we lose 3,000 units of market rental housing a year to price appreciation in rents and/or demolition

16:11 Mark discusses meeting Erskine Bowles and Nelson Schwab in 2020, their shared commitment to addressing Charlotte's housing challenges, and the launch of the first Housing Impact Fund

18:40 Mark gives Liz and Maya an overview of Ascent Housing's three preservation funds:

• Fund I: $58 million
• Fund II: $67 million
• Fund III: $102 million

23:27 Maya asks Mark to explain what ‘NOAH’ means Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing and how market-rate housing often serves lower-income households

24:24 Mark shares the story of Shamrock Gardens

• Preservation of a 265-unit apartment community built in the 1960s.
• Average rents were approximately $500 per month at acquisition.
• How partnerships helped protect affordability and prevent displacement.
• Current residents’ rents remain remarkably affordable, including Liz’s family-friend Miss Kim

28:15 Mark gives an Overview of Innovative Supportive Housing programs. Including housing opportunities for:

• Seniors on fixed incomes
• Young adults aging out of foster care
• Refugees
• Individuals with disabilities
• Undocumented residents

31:57 Maya gives Mark his flowers and Liz recognize Mark's impact on Charlotte's housing ecosystem

35:20 Mark recognizes his wife, her influence and the leadership and vision of Erskine Bowles and Nelson Schwab

38:29 Mark shares a recent story of a family experiencing housing instability while caring for a hospitalized child.

41:28 Liz explains Area Median Income and why it matters

43:15 Maya asks Mark to share one authentic thing about himself. He shares a personal story about his vintage 1984 blue Dodge truck. A reflection on seeing value in older things, whether a truck or an apartment community

47:25 Mark ends by pulling a card, "I slow down and listen to the guidance that's available to me."

• Mark reflects on slowing down after years of rapid growth.
• Discussion about creating space for reflection, learning, and strategic thinking
• Liz offers a powerful perspective: the guidance is already available, if we take time to listen.

0:35 Welcome to Episode 17!

0:55 Liz does a short recap on the housing spectrum series

2:02 Introduction to Tara Peele

06:50 Tara reflects on her relationship with Natalie Britt, who was her first boss and helped guide her into the housing field.

8:55 Tara shares one authentic thing about herself, “I’m pretty Introverted”

10:27 Liz drops a gem, “There’s something so powerful in knowing yourself”

16:47 Tara explains the organization's history, beginning as Social Serve, its evolution into Housing Collaborative, and its mission of making affordable housing easier to navigate.

23:32 Maya, Liz, and Tara unpack the meaning of housing navigation and why having a person guide someone through the process matters.

26:13 The group discusses application and administrative fees and how they can become significant barriers for people with extremely low incomes.

29:00 The table discusses the "landlord consortium" model. Housing Collaborative acts as a centralized relationship manager, connecting supportive-service organizations with a wide range of housing providers.

31:08 Liz connects Housing Collaborative's work to the broader housing spectrum; from homelessness and supportive housing to affordable and market-rate housing.

· Tara explains that they serve approximately 98% of referred households are below 60% AMI, with most below 30% AMI.

34:16 The conversation turns to discuss trends making housing harder to access: application fees, administrative fees, holding fees, risk mitigation fees, and other financial barriers.

37:48 The table dives into why people fall behind on rent. The group explores utility debt, rising costs, fixed incomes, unexpected expenses, and the lack of financial margin many households face.

41:02 Tara explains how people are referred to Housing Collaborative and what ongoing support can look like and the organization’s partnerships with more than 20 supportive-service providers in Mecklenburg County.

46:54 A Home for All: Tara shares Charlotte-Mecklenburg's plan to end and prevent homelessness and explains Housing Collaboratives' role.

· Housing Collaborative housed approximately 280 households during the first year of the pilot and 486 during the second year.

· 600 units became 1,800+: Housing Collaborative's goal was to recruit 600 previously unengaged housing units. They ultimately recruited more than 1,800.

· Tara discusses the importance of sustainable funding for housing navigation, incentives, and risk mitigation.

· The A Home for All is welcoming private funds to support its program

52:10 Tara shares the story of a man who transitioned from an encampment into stable housing through multiple housing-support programs.

58:58 Tara shares what's next for Housing Collaborative

1:00:55 Tara shares ways listeners can contribute and support Housing Collaborative through donations, welcome-home baskets, operating support, and housing-provider partnerships.

Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast-

0:34 Welcome to Episode 16!

0:51 Liz does a short recap on the housing spectrum series

2:34 Introduction to Laura Caldwell

4:09 Laura shares one authentic thing about herself, “I’m such a curious person”

5:20 Laura opens up about her past and what led her to the leadership role of serving the homeless population at Supportive Housing Communities

7:49 Laura drops a gem, “Trust me, the hurdles are going to come but when you look backwards, you’ll know why”

8:32 Laura shares, “I want to leave a legacy. I want something that matters to be part of what I got to contribute to the world”

8:42 The table discusses McCreesh Place and why it’s so special

· The only sober living housing option in charlotte that offers affordable housing

9:58 Liz leads us into distinguishing the difference between Permanent Supportive Housing and other housing options

· Affordable Housing paired with Support Services

· Subsidy that helps the neighbor with their utilities, rent, or both

· A case manager and life skills team that helps the neighbor with wrap around services

· Longer than transitional housing

· It does not have an end date

11:59 Laura describes the continuum of care and the by-name list that the service leaders use in Charlotte

13:04 For entry into the program, please call Coordinated Entry: 704-284-9665 if you or someone you know is homeless or at imminent risk in Mecklenburg County

14:42 Courtney shares her experience working at McCreesh Place and her story with Robert

16:40 Liz asks Laura to describe how they quantify how many people SHC serves:

· By Household/ 300 Households (Approx 500 individuals and families, 190 which are children)

· McCreesh Place (Co-ed individuals only) serves 90, other neighbors (families) are in a scattered site model

22:25 Bingo & Coffee Talk are some of the individuals’ favorite things to do at SHC

24:25 Maya asks Laura how they ensure services remain person-centered and tailored to individual needs

26:06 Laura shares information on her new Life Skills team at Supportive Housing Communities

31:28 Liz invites Laura to pull an affirmation card, “When I lean towards love, I am led” it resonated “everything goes back to how you love people”

35:07 Courtney asks Laura if she’s been able to reflect on how far she’s come and the impact she’s made on people's lives

35:23 Laura drops a gem, “You get more than you give no matter how much you feel like you’re giving, you get so much more back” “Providing that hope that life doesn’t have to be how it is today, that there are people who care about you that are going to lean in for you”

36:19 Liz invites Laura to share one of her favorite stories of impact

39:26 Laura shares how people can help their organization and get involved

40:19 Liz asks Laura to share what the future looks like for SHC in the next 5-10 years