Helene has had a significant impact on homelessness in Buncombe County as reported by the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, the local planning body responsible for developing and overseeing the community’s response to homelessness.
Each Continuum of Care across the country is responsible for completing an annual Point-in-Time Count during the last 10 days in January and reporting results to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to inform federal strategy and resources. The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC) completed its count on January 28, 2025 with participation from 135 volunteers, including 60 CoC members.
The count identified 755 people experiencing homelessness in Buncombe County, a slight increase from the 739 people identified in 2024. While the total number of people counted was similar, the count revealed key impacts from Tropical Storm Helene:
- The total number of people who were unsheltered on the night of the count was 328, a 50% increase from 2024. Of those, 35% (116 people) said they were experiencing homelessness as a result of Tropical Storm Helene.
- The number of people who were in shelter or transitional housing was 18% lower than 2024, due in part to the loss of beds at ABCCM’s Veterans Restoration Quarters, which was heavily damaged by Helene.
- Federal regulations require that Point-in-Time counts include people sheltered in hotels/motels paid for by an agency, so the final count to be reported to HUD will also include people in FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program in Buncombe County on the night of January 28, 2025, adding 1,548 people to the count without housing due to Helene.
The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care’s membership body heard results from the count at its March 26, 2025 meeting. Meeting materials are available to view.
The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care was established February 29, 2024, and its Board is slated to finalize its first strategic plan this spring. Membership in the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care is open to anyone with an interest in understanding homelessness in Buncombe County and taking action to address, and community members are invited to learn more on the City’s Continuum of Care project page.
The CoC has designated the City of Asheville as its Lead Agency for strategic and administrative support as fulfilled by the Homeless Strategy Division, and in that capacity the City is releasing this information on the CoC’s behalf.