The City of Charlotte helps neighborhoods organize, plan and implement the initiatives that are a priority to their unique communities.
Our signature board support program is the Neighborhood Board Retreat, conducted two times per year. Topic-specific trainings for neighborhoods are offered year-round. Our experienced neighborhood advocates are available to connect your neighborhood to other community resources and partners to help you achieve your neighborhood goals.
Learn more about the resources the City of Charlotte offers to help neighbors build neighborhoods.
The City of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Department invites you to apply for the morning conference portion of the Neighborhood Board Retreat on Saturday, September 27, 2025. We are excited to welcome individual residents who are interested in attending the retreat but are not part of a full neighborhood group.
This fall’s theme is Building Trust: Deepening Neighborhood Engagement. The retreat will feature a conference-style format, and morning-only participants will have the opportunity to attend two out of four engaging sessions focused on strengthening neighborhood relationships and inclusive participation.
Session Topics:
- From Transactional to Relational: Shifting How We Engage
- Building Trust and Resolving Conflict in Your Neighborhood
- Connect and Thrive: Maximizing Social Media
- Youth Engagement: Bringing Young Voices Into Leadership
This morning-only option allows residents to connect with other community leaders, gain practical skills, and bring fresh ideas back to their neighborhoods. Please note that morning-only participants are not eligible for retreat incentives such as the volunteer hours credit or planning support.
How to Apply:
Residents interested in attending the morning-only session must apply online by September 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Space is limited, so early application is encouraged.
The Quality of Life Explorer looks at the social, housing, economic, environmental and safety conditions in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
Local residents, businesses, service providers, government agencies, realtors, universities and others can use the Explorer to learn more about the county and its neighborhoods, develop programs and services, and plan for the future.
>What's included?
- Over 80 variables providing detailed information about neighborhood housing stock, household income, jobs, health, education, tree canopy coverage, crime rates, code violations, community engagement, energy consumption and much more
- Maps, trend information, data tables and summary reports for 462 neighborhood profile areas
- Ability to explore data by custom geographies (i.e., the light rail corridor, school zones, business districts, or jurisdiction such as the City of Charlotte)
- Links to hundreds of City, County and community resources to help people learn more and take action
Service Teams are assigned by council district and work directly with citizens, neighborhood and business associations, civic groups, and other community organizations to assist communities with project implementation and area revitalization.
- Advocacy. As advocates for Charlotte communities, NEST seeks to maintain a balance between meeting the needs of both the city and individual neighborhoods.
- Coordination. To improve the quality of life in Charlotte neighborhoods, Teams engage in a significant amount of coordination efforts to align City resources, projects, and initiatives with community needs.
- Information. Teams provide information about available programs and services directly to individual citizens and neighborhood groups and help facilitate connections where possible.
- Problem Solving. Teams work with neighborhood and community groups to empower them to develop and implement solutions that create positive change.
Neighborhood Engagement Service Teams
Jacquelyn M. Horton, Strategic Operations Manager | Jacquelyn.Horton@charlottenc.gov | (980) 333-5962
For outreach in the City of Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity, contact Kelsi Preston, Kelsi.Preston@charlottenc.gov , (980) 257-7123, Corridors of Opportunity Community Engagement Lead.
NEST Service Area Map
The
Neighborhood Organization Contact List is a subscription list of neighborhood leaders and residents throughout the City of Charlotte who have registered to receive communications from the city. This list is a valuable communications tool used by city and county agencies to engage the community on public initiatives, meetings, and projects that may impact their neighborhoods.
Recently, it has been upgraded to provide new features including real time registration and address management and neighborhood document storage.
The Neighborhood Organization Contact List is now part of
CLT Community, an online platform where residents can connect with several City of Charlotte programs using one convenient account. It allows residents to identify and register as neighborhood leaders, access the latest city data, and utilize web-based applications and programs designed specifically for our community.
The City of Charlotte provides monthly training on capacity-building topics for neighborhoods.
Past topics have included:
- Board/Organization Support
- Neighborhood Resources
- Connecting with Government
- Community Resources
- Environment and Sustainability
- Youth
The City of Charlotte has composed a resource directory for neighborhoods to access organizations and information that will assist them in achieving their goals. This Resource Guide is updated yearly.
Need A Speaker provides informative conversations and engaging presentations about local government to neighborhood and business associations, civic groups and community organizations.
Request a speaker by completing the online form, or contact us to learn more.