Triad woman works to help end homelessness

FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A Triad woman will be helping lawmakers in the statewide fight against homelessness.

Last week, Governor Josh Stein’s Office relaunched the interagency council for coordinating homelessness programs. Karon McKinney, the senior director of the United Way of Forsyth County, was appointed to that council.

“We’ve had a 19 percent uptick in homelessness in the state of North Carolina, and that tracks with our national data,” McKinney said.

McKinney caught someone’s attention with the work she’s been doing at United Way of Forsyth County.

“The VA told us that we solved veterans homelessness last fall with United Way and our partners,” McKinney said.

McKinney said that the battle is not over. With the new council, she will be able to see what’s working in other communities, some even as close as Greensboro. 

“There are tiny houses that are being used. In other places, there are pallet shelters that have been built and are being used for shelter in other areas. We have folks that are taking a look at what’s going on in other communities and seeing what might fit well here,” McKinney said.

She can share what’s going well in Forsyth County to be a leader in new initiatives to combat homelessness across the state. 

The United Way has already done work with the Siemer Institute to keep children housed. 

“We have been working with families to keep them safely housed and in their homes, and our outcomes are amazing. It’s tied to a family stabilization stipend, so each family that we work with gets $100 a month per child. Up to four children for a year, which has seen 95% of the children that we serve in their schools,” McKinney said.

McKinney said the biggest struggle right now is funding.

“It’s $4.3 million across eight agencies that support the work that’s going on right now with the way things stand,” McKinney said.

The fear of losing any of that money is a big focus right now. 

“Resources fluctuate and will continue to fluctuate as our funding streams continue to be challenged. Food is already an issue. The FSP FEMA funding … Nationally, it is in question right now, and that money is used for our standing shelters and our winter shelters,” McKinney said.

McKinney said she continues the work because of the people who need her help. 

“When you walk alongside the most vulnerable folks in our community, you grieve with them” McKinney said.

She said there are so many ideas she wants to bring to Forsyth County, one of them being a mobile washer and dryer for people to wash their clothes.

However, that is all dependent on funding.