Local

Mom says she was evicted from transitional home for missing church

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County woman says she is being evicted from her transitional home for not attending a church service.

Charnese Tate is a homeless mother of three, who thinks she is being treated unfairly by a local charity.

But the charity's director says they only tried to help her.

"My reason for getting evicted is because on Sunday I missed a church service," Tate told Channel 2's Craig Lucie.

Tate is one of 90 people enrolled in the Hope House and Nspire Outreach program. The program's goal is to help homeless men and women and to "leave the streets behind for good."

To stay in the program, each participant works as a telemarketer for a thrift store.

"You work a call center six days a week whether you have no children or six children.

After several complaints, the Better Business Bureau recently gave Nspire an F. But Nspire responded to those complaints, and it received an A.
A BBB spokesperson told Lucie that once it figured out Nspire was a charity, they are no longer on a rating system and their file is under review.

"Since I've been in the program, I have done nothing but cross my T's and dotted my I's to make sure me and my family have a place to stay," explained Tate.

When Lucie sat down with Nspire's executive director, Gregg Kennard, he asked him if missing church is the sole reason why Tate was being removed.

"No…specifically. No that's kind of incidental.

Kennard says Tate strayed from the program.

"Occasionally someone will go maverick or go rogue," Kennard told Lucie.

"Will Charnese be removed today?" Lucie asked? Kennard replied," Hmm. Hmm. That's her choice. She was given a couple of options and declined on both of them," explained Kennard.

By 4 p.m. Tuesday, Tate sent Lucie a picture showing all of her belongings in a U-Haul.

"It's not that we don't have compassion anymore. What our program does is hold folks accountable to change, and if they are not willing to change this is not the program for them," said Kennard.

Tate told us that she doesn't know where she is going to stay Tuesday night, and says people can contact her if they would like to help via email at luv1like1@aol.com

Nspire's director told us that they gave Tate the option to give up her bedroom since she didn't go to church and live in one of their community living rooms, but he says she refused that offer.

Late Tuesday night, Tate emailed Lucie to say that she found all of her belongings inside a U-Haul outside her apartment.