James Lee is a U.S. Air Force Veteran who lives and works in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. He is a motivated community advocate with a passion for connecting people to drive positive social impact, who has been advocating for housing for years, since his time in crisis, working to re-engineer systems and structures to deliver tailored solutions. Within his community, he is known as The People Contactor, The People Connector, and The Resource Man.
In addition to being a Housing Equity Strategist for four years, guiding and consulting Community Solutions, he has advised and guided influential committees, organizations, and government agencies such as the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, HUD, and the U.S. Census Bureau, in addition to Community Solutions. He was at the forefront of many of Built for Zero’s initiatives in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County and has been instrumental in building out Community Solutions’ content on Meaningful Engagement of Lived Advisors. He even co-developed a credentialed training for local advocates at Queens University to train more people to advocate on their behalf in the human services industry.
James is an adept public speaker on topics including poverty, homelessness, healthcare resources, and trust-based philanthropy. He is committed to empowering nonprofits, advancing mission-driven organizations, and amplifying underserved voices to create sustainable change.
