Building a More Seamless Resident Journey
On April 24, navigators and community leaders from across Charlotte came together to explore how we can better connect residents to the support they need.
The group included frontline navigators and leaders across housing, workforce, health, financial services, and digital access.
At the center of the conversation was a shared question:
How can we make it easier for residents to get the help they need?
The session was designed to:
- Build relationships across systems
- Identify where resident journeys break down
- Co-design improvements to referral pathways
- Surface actionable opportunities
Through cross-sector conversations and hands-on activities, participants brought these goals to life—mapping breakdowns in real time and identifying where stronger coordination could make a difference.
Inside the Gathering
Watch a short recap and explore moments from the session.
Over the course of the convening, participants:
- Connected across sectors—many meeting for the first time
- Worked through real-life resident scenarios, including re-entry, housing instability, aging, and new Americans
- Explored where journeys break down and what a better pathway could look like
- Identified and prioritized opportunities across Do Now, Sponsor-Level, and Investment-Level
As a result, we saw:
- A stronger understanding of roles and capacities across sectors
- Clear identification of friction points and opportunities
- Strong interest in continued engagement and collaboration
Reflections from the Room
Across conversations, a few consistent themes came through:
Many participants shared that this may be one of the first times cross-sector navigators have been intentionally brought together in this way.
That made the convening feel like both a meaningful milestone—and a starting point.
There was clear interest in continuing to bring this group together to strengthen coordination, relationships, and shared learning over time.
Many participants had not met one another before this convening—and that gap matters.
When navigators know each other, understand each organization’s role, and build trust, they are better able to:
- Make accurate referrals
- Clearly communicate services to residents
- Create effective “warm handoffs”
What emerged clearly: relationships are not a byproduct of the work—they are essential to how the system functions.
Participants acknowledged the value of existing tools and resources, including 311, 211, and community directories. At the same time, consistent challenges came up:
- Information is often outdated or incomplete
- Systems don’t reflect real-time capacity
- Navigators rely on manual verification and personal networks
- Referral processes can be inconsistent and time-intensive
A key gap surfaced:
There is no shared, reliable way to know whether a provider can accept a referral at the moment of need.
This points to a broader challenge—not a lack of systems, but a lack of coordination, accuracy, and shared visibility across them.
Across conversations, there was clear alignment on the need to move toward a more coordinated ecosystem.
Participants described a shift from:
- Parallel efforts → more connected pathways
- Individual knowledge → shared understanding
- Informal processes → more consistent practices
There was strong interest in:
- Shared language and expectations
- Standardized referral practices
- Improved communication loops
- Clearer resident pathways
The energy in the room suggested readiness to move beyond conversation and toward more structured coordination.
Navigators bring a deep, real-time understanding of community needs. They see:
- Where systems break down
- Patterns in barriers and delays
- What it actually takes to support residents across systems
At the same time, that insight is not always captured or shared:
- It is rarely aggregated
- It is inconsistently translated into data
- It is underutilized in policy and funding decisions
This presents a clear opportunity to build a shared layer of insight and learning—one that strengthens both day-to-day practice and longer-term decision-making.
Where Challenges Show Up
Across all groups, several common challenges came up:
- Lack of awareness of available services
- Fragmented entry points and pathways
- Repeated intake and duplication
- Limited visibility into referral outcomes
- Over-reliance on personal networks
- Language, cultural, and trust barriers
- Lack of coordinated follow-up
These challenges reinforce a core insight:
The issue is not a lack of services—it’s how difficult it can be to navigate between them.
Opportunities Identified
Do Now
Can be done without new funding.
- Strengthen navigator relationships
- Increase awareness of existing resources
- Share clear referral information
- Align on shared practices
Sponsor-Level
Requires alignment or leader support.
- Establish ongoing gatherings
- Align stakeholders around priorities
- Define coordination models
- Support adoption of shared practices
Investment-Level
Requires funding or technology.
- Improve visibility of available resources
- Explore shared referral tools
- Build data-sharing frameworks
- Develop shared resident journey tools
Why This Matters for Charlotte
Charlotte has long focused on economic mobility and access to opportunity.
This convening highlighted an important part of that work:
Navigators are part of the community’s connective tissue.
They help residents move through complex systems, access services, and stay connected to support. Strengthening how navigators operate—individually and together—has implications for both service delivery and broader community outcomes.
What’s Next
- Opportunities for continued collaboration will be explored
- Pilot efforts may emerge based on shared priorities
- Future gatherings will continue to build on this work
Save the Date
Fall 2026 Navigator Convening
Date: Friday, October 16
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Special Thanks
This convening was made possible through the collaboration and shared commitment of organizations across Mecklenburg County.
We’re grateful for the partners who helped bring this together:
- Civic Impact Corps, Charlotte Executive Leadership Council
- Tracy Russ at the Robinson Center for Civic Leadership
- Tami Simmons
- Deidra Parrish Williams
And to the navigators, practitioners, and leaders who joined us—thank you for your expertise, honesty, and willingness to collaborate across systems in service of residents.
