The Carying Place
BY CAITLIN WHEELER | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CARYING PLACE
Every January, Wake County conducts a “point in time count” to determine the number of its people experiencing homelessness. Since some homeless families do not stay in shelters and encampments, an accurate figure can be hard to pin down. “It’s really hard to figure out the numbers,” says Leslie Covington, executive director of The Carying Place (TCP), “but the state estimates that there are over 6,000 kids who are experiencing homelessness in Wake County.”
Covington’s goal is to get that number to zero.
Historically, a “carrying place” is a portage trail between two rivers, allowing safe passage from one to the other. The Carying Place of Cary provides a similar safe passage for working families, guiding them from homelessness into housing security. Covington’s team helps their clients with temporary housing, a strict curriculum of counseling and classes, and a lifetime of follow-up support. With 15 housing units, they have served over 500 families with over 1,500 children since they opened in 2015. Because they receive 100 applicants a month, TCP always has a waiting list, and they are constantly pushing to get more housing units so they can serve additional families.
TCP’s Families
With limited resources, TCP focuses on families who are homeless, have at least one school-age child and have full-time jobs. They must be determined to do the hard work necessary to improve their situations. “We ask a lot of our families,” says Covington. “It’s not easy to share every detail of your finances with another person. It’s not easy to admit your mistakes or weaknesses.”
Dr. Debalina Chatterjee, TCP’s senior family support specialist, admires the resilience of these families, who have experienced everything from domestic abuse and gun violence to the loss of a parent and food insecurity. “It’s really uncommon, how much they want to change their trajectory. They have this incredible spark,” she says. For Chatterjee, the magic happens when a family begins to trust the TCP team, and they start working together to achieve goals. “It’s a joy when they understand that asking for help doesn’t mean you’re helpless,” she says.
A “Housing First” Approach
As soon as a family is accepted into the program, they move into one of TCP’s single-family homes for four months of rent-free living. “Whatever else is going on in life, whether it’s losing a job or domestic strain, all of it is all easier when you’re housed,” says Covington. From this place of security, each family has an opportunity to get a handle on their budget, to save money and pay off bills. Covington says four months is usually enough time for a family to pay off debts and improve a credit score, making it easier for them to get housing going forward.
Chatterjee then visits the home to assess the family’s broader needs. She helps with determining school enrollment and child care; establishing a plan to minimize parent driving; ensuring access to health care, healthy food and seasonal clothing; and strategizing with families to maximize their savings. “It is like figuring out a puzzle,” says Chatterjee, “and it is both challenging and rewarding.”
Covington says that with stable housing, a family can substantially change their trajectory in four months. Almost 85% of TCP families complete the curriculum; almost all pay off their debts; and some not only pay off debts, but exit the program with money in savings.
TCP’s Curriculum
“Everyone comes in saying, ‘I want to buy a house,’” says Dr. Michael Pearson, TCP’s program director. “But success is measured differently for different families, and home ownership is not always the goal.” Instead, TCP’s Journey Home program is meant to empower families to achieve long-term self-sufficiency. “Every minute, we are cheerleaders for our families,” says Pearson, “but we are also very serious about our educational program.”
The TCP curriculum has four pillars: life skills, financial literacy, career development and housing preparedness. Of these, Covington says financial literacy is the most important. “People don’t realize how much personal finance is the hallmark for getting out of poverty,” she says. “There are so many entitlement programs out there, but they are only a buffer. They’ll never give you all the money you need for food, housing and education. We are trying to get our families to a place where they can take care of themselves long-term.”
Much of the curriculum is covered in mandatory Thursday evening sessions, which include separate programs for adults, children and teens. Meetings typically include dinner and expert guest speakers who discuss everything from parenting tips and interviewing and networking skills to financial literacy for teens.
The Team
“I’m so impressed with the incredible bonds of trust the TCP staff creates with its families,” says Heather Whelehan, director of housing and community partnerships with the Town of Cary. TCP’s staff of nine brings a variety of expertise areas to their work. For example, Covington has a deep understanding of mental health and the community that TCP supports. Pearson brings a Ph.D. in social justice and health services for a policy-level approach to problem-solving. Chatterjee brings a passion for the program that extends to her having left a career in biotech to focus on community empowerment. “It brings me so much joy to help these amazing families get unstuck,” says Chatterjee.
The TCP team extends well beyond their paid staff. “We absolutely rely on our many wonderful volunteers,” says Covington. Dozens of TCP volunteers do everything from serving Thursday night dinners, to making TCP homes welcoming and comfortable and to leading teen support programs.
A Community Network
Can a program as small as The Carying Place actually make a difference with a problem as big as homelessness? “Absolutely,” says Whelehan. Cary, like other local governments, relies on partnerships with private and nonprofit organizations to meet its community goals for housing stability.
“There are so many resources available in Cary and Wake County,” says Chatterjee. “When we can’t help, we usually know another organization or government program that can, and in return we often get referrals from other nonprofits.”
“Homelessness can feel like a big macro-economic trend that is out of our control,” says Whelahan, “but I don’t buy into this ‘It’s just a fact of modern life’ mindset.” She adds that TCP and other nonprofits are doing this work at a critical time. “Our region is in a growth stage,” she says, “and we still have the opportunity to shape our communities.”
The Town of Cary has long partnered with TCP to increase the nonprofit’s impact. This year, the town has given TCP a grant to buy two additional properties. A larger partnership is also underway: Cary is working with Greenwood Baptist Church, TCP and DHIC, Inc.—a nonprofit that builds affordable housing—to redevelop the church site at 110 SE Maynard Road, adding affordable housing, daycare facilities and community programming areas for TCP’s Journey Home program.
“We couldn’t do what we’re doing without TCP,” says Whelehan.
To learn more about The Carying Place and how to help, go to thecaryingplace.org.
