Man Plans To Build House For Homeless Women In West Charlotte

A Charlotte man who's been running a successful halfway house for men released from prison will be trying something new to help rebuild a west Charlotte neighborhood.

John Jennings said his ministry plans to tear down a house on Columbus Circle and rebuild a home for homeless women and children.

"It'll be women out of prison, primarily homeless women. But we will not turn down any women," Jennings said on Monday.

Jennings said the house was donated to his ministry by a landlord who decided to do that rather than pay to rehab it himself.

The new house will be just a few blocks from the scene of Charlotte's most recent murder, and Jennings said it will make a difference in the community.

“So we're going to work. They're going to support us and hopefully we're going to bring that whole neighborhood up," he said.

Jennings has the backing of Habitat for Humanity and several churches. He also said several companies have lined up volunteers to help build the house.

He hopes to break ground later this year and have the house finished sometime in 2012.

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