CHARLOTTE, N.C. ― Novant Health has pledged $6 million to the Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund to address Charlotte’s affordable housing crisis. The commitment helps the fund complete its goal of $50 million to match the City of Charlotte’s $50 million housing bond referendum. Foundation For The Carolinas started the fund.
“It’s an honor to help the Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund meet its $50 million goal to help alleviate the affordable housing crisis,” said Carl S. Armato, president and chief executive officer for Novant Health. “While our team members look to improve quality of life within our facilities, it’s important for us to recognize that well-being starts at home. We are diligently pursuing strategies to tackle the challenges surrounding social determinants of health in our communities, of which safe and affordable housing is a key concern in the Charlotte area.”
With more than 55,000 Charlotteans without an affordable place to live, Charlotte needs an additional 24,000 units of affordable housing to meet this current need. The need for affordable housing will only increase, as projections from the United Nations forecast Charlotte as the fastest growing area in the U.S. through 2030.
“As a community, we have come together to recognize the essential need of quality housing for all Charlotteans and the commitment required to make progress toward that goal,” said Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte. “Today’s donation by Novant Health officially completes our $50 million investment fund objective and allows our city to move forward with a plan to provide safe, affordable housing for everyone.”
“We are so grateful for Novant Health’s extraordinary generosity in support of such an important cause,” said Michael Marsicano, president and CEO of Foundation For The Carolinas. “When we set the goal of $50 million from the private sector for affordable housing, we knew we’d need strong partners who are committed to this community and who lead by example. It’s fitting, then, that the final organization to help us meet that goal is one that exemplifies those attributes as strongly as does Novant Health.”
Novant Health has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to improving the health of our communities, one person at a time, by improving access to care, investing in the community and supporting economic mobility.
Improving access to care
Novant Health continues to deliver on its commitment to improve access to care by placing providers in communities most in need, including:
- The Movement Family Wellness Center powered by Novant Health
- Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics (Opening Sept. 2019 and fall 2020)
- Steve Smith Family Wellness Center
- Novant Health Waughtown Pediatrics
- Novant Health Today’s Woman
- Highland Avenue Primary Care Clinic
In addition to clinics and providers, Novant Health creates increased access by:
- Delivering over 19,300 free immunizations and caring for more than 10,900 children on the Novant Health Community Care Cruiser
- Providing 8,168 free screenings for community members in 2018 with Novant Health team members volunteering 5,827 hours of their time
Launching the ONE Charlotte Health Alliance in partnership with Atrium Health and the Mecklenburg County Health Department, which this year delivered two mobile units to help offer additional heath care access points in our public health priority areas
Investing in the community
- Novant Health’s community benefit includes hundreds of programs that address the most pressing health needs of the communities we serve, particularly among excluded groups. This includes unreimbursed health services to individuals with Medicaid and Medicare coverage; free community health education and screenings; support groups; partnerships with health-focused community groups; and participation in medical research and academic health programs.
- In 2018, Novant Health delivered $883.7 million in total community benefit, including $154.7 million in financial assistance to members in the communities we serve.
Supporting economic mobility
- Novant Health supports the upward mobility of both Novant Health team members and community members through programs designed to improve opportunities for professional growth. Most recently, these programs include:
- The H: Drive Experience, enrolling 23 community members in a leadership program that identifies less-heard, high-potential leaders who are invested and engaged in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, but who may otherwise lack access to leadership development opportunities. The program includes full-day coaching sessions, group experiences and interaction with community leaders. Opera Carolina’s “I Dream” served as a catalyst for the H: Drive Experience.
- The Upward Mobility RN Scholarship, awarded to 20 Novant Health team members. Formerly the CNA to RN program in Charlotte, the initiative expanded to include team members who are not CNAS and support those who aspire to be registered nurses and are experiencing financial hardship.
- An Urban League of Central Carolinas training program, geared toward boosting women and minority participation in medical sector careers that lead to a living wage. Novant Health awarded a $25,000 grant to the program, and continuously invests in similar organizations seeking to change lives through workforce development.
- Increase of compensation for Novant Health employees over and above the state-mandated minimum wage, commonly referred to as a living wage, to $12.50. This adjustment affects about 5,000 employees and represents about a $4 million investment in team members.
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