Join the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care for the annual Point-in-Time Count!
Community members will work as part of a small team to canvas Buncombe County surveying people experiencing homelessness. This critical data collection happens nationwide during the last 10 days of January each year. The information gathered helps direct federal funding, inform local strategy, and identify missing resources within the homeless service system. As a volunteer, you’ll connect with your neighbors, learn more about your community, and hear directly from people experiencing a housing crisis.
How to participate:
Register to volunteer for the evening of Tuesday, January 28th, or the late morning of Wednesday, January 29th. No prior experience is required and training will be provided ahead of the count. New this year: an optional in-person-only “Surveys in Practice” session will be held to provide space for volunteers to practice administering the surveys with other volunteers.
This is an excellent opportunity to take action and support the community’s collective response to homelessness!
Schedule Overview :
Tuesday, January 28, 2025: Street Canvassing
- Launch from the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall (87 Haywood Street)
- Volunteers gather at 3:30 p.m.
- Street canvassing occurs from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Teams of 2-3 volunteers include at least one person with experience
- Teams walk or drive to cover high-traffic areas and corridors of Buncombe County
Wednesday, January 29, 2025: Street Canvassing + Location-Specific Teams
- Launch from the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall (87 Haywood Street)
- Volunteers gather at 9:30 a.m.
- Street canvassing of the same geographic areas from Tuesday night from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Teams also gather information from service locations:
- AHOPE Day Center (7:45 -11 a.m.)
- Haywood Street Congregation (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- ABCCM Crisis Ministries (Downtown, South, and Hominy Valley – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Campsite outreach (varied times)
- Led by outreach professionals
Background
The annual Point-in-Time count tracks the demographics, causes, and population of people experiencing homelessness in Buncombe County. As the count reflects only a single night it is not an accurate picture of the entire population of people experiencing homelessness. Still, it is currently the most comprehensive annual dataset available.
Following federal requirements, the count will include individuals and families who are unsheltered (on the street, camping, staying in a car) as well as people in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. Federal guidelines also include people staying in hotels or motels funded by an agency (e.g. FEMA) and people who are unsheltered regardless of who the property owner is (e.g. people camping on property they own), so this year’s count will also include people currently without housing due to Tropical Storm Helene.
Data will be compiled, deduplicated, and aggregated by the CoC Lead Agency Staff and reported out to the Continuum of Care and the wider community in early spring.
To join our community’s collaborative response to homelessness, become a member of the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care.