Rental Housing Subsidy helps lower-income families pay for rental housing.  Developing a local program will supplement the federal Section 8 program and address an area of critical housing shortage in the Charlotte, especially for families that earn less than 24 percent of the area median income ($16,000 based on a family of four).  Families earning this amount cannot afford to pay more than $400 for rent and utilities, but many apartments even at the lower end rent for $500 per month.  The most recent affordable housing projections call for a shortfall of about 8,200 units for these families by 2012.

Many communities have initiated local programs across the country and internationally that attempt to fill the gap.  One model program is based in Toronto, Canada, where they have brought together the private sector, volunteers, philanthropic and/or faith community and government to provide cash payments to landlords of market-rate apartments with vacancies to house these families. 

There are some initiatives locally to develop rental subsidy programs.  The Workforce Initiative for Supportive Housing (W.I.S.H.) has begun signing up the faith community, non-profit, private and local government to support a local rental housing subsidy program.  Other non-profits are exploring ways to provide local housing rental subsidies assist families in need as well.  The number of subsidies provided by these programs will be based on available government support, fundraising among the partners and agreements with apartment owners.