Charlotte Dealership Gives Homeless Families A Safe Place To Park

CHARLOTTE, NC — A Charlotte car dealer is making news not for the cars he moves off his lot, but instead for those he welcomes to park on it — homeless families who are living in their vehicles.

“It’s not news that people are sleeping in their cars at night. Searching for a safe place to park free from disturbance, trespassing, harassment or worse. Homelessness in the city is on the rise.” Kiplin Automotive Group said in a recent Facebook post. “We know that some families are struggling and in a tough situation. Yea whole families sleeping in the car. You would say but the shelters??

“They are full guys. We have experienced that first hand,” the dealership said.

The dealership, located at 3515 Brookshire Boulevard at Interstate 85 in Charlotte, has decided to offer families going through a tough time a safe place to park for the night.

“We can’t put everyone in a hotel, but we can get you a safe place for the night,” the dealership said.

It’s act of kindness from a business not typically associated with such a personal level of philanthropy. But, for Kiplin Automotive Group manager James Charles, its an act of kindness that hits home for him personally.

“It allows them an opportunity to have some peace of mind at night while they’re going through their transition and we want to be able to personally encourage people through that transition,” James Charles, manager of Kiplin Automotive Group, told WFAE.

Growing housing expenses continue to put pressure on area families, according to a recent Charlotte area housing and homelessness report. In the past year, there’s been a 12 percent increase in evictions in Mecklenburg County, where for about 118,000 households, rent costs are at least 30 percent of income, the radio station reported.

Charles said the motivation behind the offering occurred six years ago, when the dealership attempted to repossess a car from a woman who had stopped making payments, only to discover she was living in it.

“We put her in a hotel until she could find a place but all and I mean all the shelters were full,” he said in the social media post.

The experience stuck with him and now the dealership has extra space, he said.

“That was really the sign we took at that time and we realized, ‘You know what? This is something we need to be more involved in,’” he told WBTV.

The dealership has added extra lights around its parking lot, as well as security cameras.

“I know what we can do right now, we have tons of space,” he told the station. “You can come here,” he said. “We will allow you to stay on our property, and of course, we’re going to help you find a place if we can.”

Anyone in need of a safe place to park is asked to call 704-201-7601, Charles said.