Enlarge A family featured in Souls of Our Neighbors.

Posted: December 29th, 2011 Amanda Pagliarini

Affordable housing can conjure fears and frets about the condition of neighborhoods, surrounding property values and neighborhood safety. It is a need that the broader community often misunderstands and would prefer to keep out of sight. Yet this is the very center of that which affordable housing seeks to provide – the opportunity for those who serve in a community, to live in that same community.

As a means to launch a greater discussion on the issue, Crossroads Charlotte, Mecklenburg Ministries, and Temple Beth El will premiere “Souls of Our Neighbors," at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Wells Fargo Auditorium at Knight Theater. 

By examining the rising problem of homelessness and struggles of the working poor in our community, the 28-minute documentary aims to demonstrate the need for affordable housing and how both the availability or insufficient availability impact the entire community.    

The film profiles a number of local families directly impacted by the accessibility of affordable housing and offers a glimpse into the realities of how and why residents find themselves in a battle against homelessness.

Attendees will receive a DVD of the documentary in hopes that they will use it to continue the dialogue in their neighborhoods, congregations, associations, and corporations.  

“Those who attend this documentary will join a widespread community effort to make this new year one in which we make major strides in creating adequate affordable housing for our working poor who enable our city to run,” said Rabbi Judy Schindler of Temple Beth-El. 

In addition to the documentary screening, Mayor Anthony Foxx will deliver a proclamation, seeking the community’s help to eradicate homelessness in the coming year.  In the weeks following the premiere, the partnership team behind Souls of Our Neighbors will launch an initiative in conjunction with the Mayor’s proclamation. 

“We hope this documentary will help Charlotte become a national model for how a community can come together to address pressing issues,” said Maria Hanlin, Executive Director of Mecklenburg Ministries. 

For more information about the premiere event or how you can help, click here for the Souls of Our Neighbors page.   

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