1

00:00:28,140 --> 00:00:35,550

Unknown: Well, drinkies approach

to us first, was the vision, not

2

00:00:35,550 --> 00:00:38,220

the money, not the

infrastructure, not the building

3

00:00:38,220 --> 00:00:42,390

process, not the legalities of

whatever it would take to make

4

00:00:42,390 --> 00:00:45,630

it happen. They talk to us first

about the vision.

5

00:00:45,990 --> 00:00:50,100

I think, from my perspective,

they had obviously done a lot of

6

00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:54,720

work. And they, they've been

talking about this for years, by

7

00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,340

the time it came to us. And to

me that that is absolutely the

8

00:00:59,370 --> 00:01:02,760

best way to do it. Because I

have churches now who, who

9

00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,110

approached me, and they want me

to create a vision for them. And

10

00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,970

my, it's always my response is,

I want to hear what your vision

11

00:01:11,970 --> 00:01:16,530

is. And so our president, Julie

Porter, spent a lot of time in

12

00:01:16,530 --> 00:01:18,510

the early days of this

development meeting with the,

13

00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,140

with the church and with others

to kind of map out what this

14

00:01:22,140 --> 00:01:27,570

could be. And, and then, and

then it came to me. And so my

15

00:01:27,570 --> 00:01:31,950

goal was to execute to make it

happen. And what that means to

16

00:01:31,950 --> 00:01:38,010

me is, take their vision, if an

answered and constructed.

17

00:01:45,090 --> 00:01:48,810

So one of the primary

challenges, perhaps Z primary

18

00:01:48,810 --> 00:01:54,060

challenge was a small faction of

people in the local community,

19

00:01:54,810 --> 00:01:58,230

who didn't understand really,

the notion of affordable

20

00:01:58,230 --> 00:02:04,470

housing, they had some fears.

And so we had made up our minds

21

00:02:04,980 --> 00:02:11,190

that we were going to engage the

community in a series of field

22

00:02:11,190 --> 00:02:17,490

trips to let them see some of

what had impressed us. And we

23

00:02:17,490 --> 00:02:21,270

went from Dream key property to

dream key property and I would

24

00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:24,660

quiz people on the bus from time

to time. How old do you think

25

00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:28,530

this one is? gonna sell about

two or three years? No, 1515

26

00:02:28,530 --> 00:02:33,960

years old. Looks pretty good

debit. It's not a tenement. You

27

00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,290

see, this was what was feared by

the naysayers. It's not a

28

00:02:37,290 --> 00:02:40,410

tenement. It has nine foot

ceilings, it has beautiful

29

00:02:40,620 --> 00:02:45,330

cabinetry, it has washer dryer

hookups, every unit has its own

30

00:02:45,690 --> 00:02:51,660

little terrace or balcony. It

has all the kinds of things that

31

00:02:51,660 --> 00:02:56,700

are able to create a community,

a grand address for people whose

32

00:02:56,700 --> 00:03:01,470

only sin is being poor, in one

of the richest cities in the

33

00:03:01,470 --> 00:03:05,220

country, and I would argue in

the world. And I think that

34

00:03:05,220 --> 00:03:08,880

group of people at least began

to see that our aim wasn't

35

00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,390

malevolent. We weren't trying to

do the things we were accused

36

00:03:12,390 --> 00:03:12,660

of.

37

00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:24,240

First and foremost, I would

advise, be clear about your

38

00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:30,660

vision. Because in order to

finance it, sometimes it takes

39

00:03:30,690 --> 00:03:33,900

interaction with federal

agencies and, you know,

40

00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:38,070

volunteers and donors, and you

need to be very clear about what

41

00:03:38,070 --> 00:03:44,490

you want to see happen, and why.

And secondly, do not settle for

42

00:03:44,490 --> 00:03:49,500

a developer who does not who

cannot either logistically

43

00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:54,750

financially, or philosophically

embrace that vision started I

44

00:03:54,750 --> 00:04:02,010

would understand in advance

very, very well. The protocols

45

00:04:02,010 --> 00:04:08,460

and skills of the property

manager, I do not advise a faith

46

00:04:08,460 --> 00:04:12,540

community to try and manage a

property by themselves.

47

00:04:13,470 --> 00:04:19,560

Understand the funding

mechanisms. So with our project

48

00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,980

there, it's a complicated

mixture. That includes you know,

49

00:04:22,980 --> 00:04:27,660

donors and everything. But

understand that funding

50

00:04:27,660 --> 00:04:32,400

mechanism as best you can, and

make sure that if you are

51

00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:38,640

building for a vulnerable

population that you build

52

00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:45,090

wraparound services before you

build the housing. Plan those

53

00:04:45,090 --> 00:04:49,380

things before the bricks and

mortar come. Because once those

54

00:04:49,380 --> 00:04:54,000

are available, they will have

time to mature and season before

55

00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,930

they have real need is expressed

for them.

56

00:05:05,609 --> 00:05:08,639

And this is another thing that I

tell younger developers on my

57

00:05:08,639 --> 00:05:11,729

team, don't focus on the

structure that that we're

58

00:05:11,729 --> 00:05:15,059

building, because those are

those are just boxes, right? You

59

00:05:15,059 --> 00:05:20,129

got to focus on the people who

live there. The church always

60

00:05:20,129 --> 00:05:25,769

had that focus. That was without

a doubt. And so if we, if we

61

00:05:25,769 --> 00:05:30,599

keep that focus, we can't do

wrong. I think we did that when

62

00:05:30,599 --> 00:05:34,529

we designed designed this

building. And Tom will tell you

63

00:05:34,529 --> 00:05:37,559

one thing that will happen, I

think over time is that this

64

00:05:37,559 --> 00:05:41,819

neighborhood will continue to

gentrify and that will, what

65

00:05:41,819 --> 00:05:45,029

we've built, there will be a

pocket of affordability that

66

00:05:45,149 --> 00:05:48,059

that won't go away. So that's

why it's important that we did

67

00:05:48,059 --> 00:05:48,359

this

1

00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,360

Unknown: You.

2

00:00:30,150 --> 00:00:32,700

So roof above had the

opportunity to really be the

3

00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:36,450

first innovator of housing first

here in the Charlotte community.

4

00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:40,140

And we started with the pilot

program and then built more

5

00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:43,680

place, the city was an awesome

partner, as was the faith

6

00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,360

community and in that creation,

and we saw the effectiveness of

7

00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,540

the housing first model and

permanent supportive housing. So

8

00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:55,350

we wanted to replicate what we

learned at more place, and we

9

00:00:55,380 --> 00:00:59,160

thought we would find land and

build two more buildings, that

10

00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:04,170

was our goal. And then COVID

came, and we were looking for

11

00:01:04,170 --> 00:01:07,650

land and land was very

expensive. But related to our

12

00:01:07,650 --> 00:01:10,980

COVID work, we were spending a

lot of time looking at hotels

13

00:01:10,980 --> 00:01:15,420

and motels to be able to offer

socially distant shelter. And we

14

00:01:15,420 --> 00:01:19,140

toured this hotel, and the owner

said, you know, I'm really not

15

00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:22,680

interested in renting out rooms,

I'm ready to sell the property.

16

00:01:23,070 --> 00:01:25,770

And that's when the light bulb

went off, we thought, well, this

17

00:01:25,770 --> 00:01:29,820

can be socially distant shelter,

but it could also be transformed

18

00:01:29,850 --> 00:01:34,080

into supportive housing. So we

have the opportunity, thanks to

19

00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:39,690

the generosity of many people to

purchase the hotel. And we have

20

00:01:39,690 --> 00:01:43,020

more than seven faith

communities who are part of us

21

00:01:43,050 --> 00:01:48,180

creating the rise on klanten.

And that ranged from, you know,

22

00:01:48,180 --> 00:01:50,670

I think the probably the

smallest donation from a faith

23

00:01:50,670 --> 00:01:57,060

community was a few $1,000 up to

nearly $2 million. So wide array

24

00:01:57,060 --> 00:02:01,170

there. So we're sitting here

very close to the covenant

25

00:02:01,170 --> 00:02:05,400

lounge. So covenant Presbyterian

Church was a phenomenal donor

26

00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,910

here. But we also have many

other congregations who are part

27

00:02:08,910 --> 00:02:09,870

of making this happen.

28

00:02:16,260 --> 00:02:21,750

Every construction project has

unforeseen circumstances, what I

29

00:02:21,750 --> 00:02:25,350

learned about hotel conversions,

when we initially did our due

30

00:02:25,350 --> 00:02:29,490

diligence, this hotel was nearly

empty because of COVID. And then

31

00:02:29,490 --> 00:02:33,120

we partnered with Salvation Army

after we bought it. And we were

32

00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,180

able to use the space as an

emergency shelter during the

33

00:02:36,180 --> 00:02:40,860

winter of several months in the

winter of COVID. And then we

34

00:02:40,860 --> 00:02:44,100

started the renovation. And it

turns out due diligence is very

35

00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,740

different after you've been

fully occupied for several

36

00:02:46,740 --> 00:02:51,150

months than when you're empty.

And we had not realized that

37

00:02:51,150 --> 00:02:54,390

there was a moisture issue which

created a mold issue. And so

38

00:02:54,390 --> 00:02:58,470

after we thought we'd finished

the fundraising, the mold issue

39

00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:02,730

was really about a half a

million dollar additional

40

00:03:02,730 --> 00:03:05,250

expense that we were going to

have to go out and fundraise

41

00:03:05,250 --> 00:03:11,490

for. And I kid you not on the

like within 24 hours of hearing

42

00:03:11,490 --> 00:03:15,930

that half a million dollar

number. I got an email from

43

00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,990

Myers Park Presbyterian church

that they were donating half a

44

00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:21,870

million dollars to this project.

So it's like immediately we knew

45

00:03:21,870 --> 00:03:25,440

about the problem. And almost

immediately there was an answer

46

00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,430

that we were able to just move

forward. So it's 88 rooms. So

47

00:03:29,430 --> 00:03:32,310

all of the hotel rooms we

converted into apartments. And

48

00:03:32,310 --> 00:03:36,090

so we've got 88 apartments here.

But then we also built on an

49

00:03:36,090 --> 00:03:39,630

entire support service working

and so here on site, we have

50

00:03:39,630 --> 00:03:43,740

case management, we have a full

time nurse. And then we have a

51

00:03:43,740 --> 00:03:46,740

tenant engagement specialist

who's very much focused on

52

00:03:46,740 --> 00:03:50,040

positive activities, both

bringing activities to our

53

00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,370

tenants here on site but also

helping bring our tenants out

54

00:03:53,370 --> 00:03:55,830

into the community and

activities within the community.

55

00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:15,480

Here at T rock, we see

individuals participating in

56

00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,700

enrichment activities from a

volunteer perspective. So we

57

00:04:20,700 --> 00:04:25,020

have community organizations and

partners who come in and will

58

00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:31,110

support a yoga program for our

for our tenants, or will come in

59

00:04:31,110 --> 00:04:36,420

and participate in arts and

crafts with our tenants. Or, for

60

00:04:36,420 --> 00:04:41,760

instance, no grease comes to T

rock and he does haircuts for

61

00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,660

the gentleman once per month.

One of the great things about

62

00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,830

kind of how our volunteer team

is set up now and our structure

63

00:04:49,830 --> 00:04:54,540

around volunteerism is that if

you are interested in connecting

64

00:04:54,540 --> 00:04:58,230

and interested in participating,

our volunteer team is going to

65

00:04:58,230 --> 00:05:03,780

find a way to find something

that fits your needs as a as a

66

00:05:03,780 --> 00:05:06,990

faith based organization and our

needs as a program on

67

00:05:06,990 --> 00:05:11,400

thank our sponsors, you know,

say for help me, you know,

68

00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:17,010

saying I mean, I know, I know,

what I was going through was an

69

00:05:17,010 --> 00:05:21,240

endless cycle egg, you know, I

it was no way in the world that

70

00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,350

I was going to be able to come

back from the deficit, you know,

71

00:05:25,740 --> 00:05:29,010

without help from somebody, you

know, I'm saying I mean, I mean,

72

00:05:29,010 --> 00:05:32,580

I'd like to say thankful God,

but I know this isn't as human

73

00:05:32,580 --> 00:05:37,830

beings who, who show that they

have God in them, when they help

74

00:05:37,830 --> 00:05:40,350

out, you know, say even when

they hand you a plate of food,

75

00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,910

or whatever, or, or, you know,

whatever they do for you, to

76

00:05:44,910 --> 00:05:48,660

help you along the way. You

know, Sam, I mean, like I said,

77

00:05:48,660 --> 00:05:52,620

I want to get to the point where

I had been able to help somebody

78

00:05:52,620 --> 00:05:54,630

else. Like I was helping myself