Raleigh, NC, Apr. 15, 2026 — Wake County is advancing a new homelessness strategy built on a simple but consequential finding: it is far less expensive to house people quickly than to manage homelessness over time. The initiative, presented during an April 13th County Commissioners’ work session, outlines a two-year surge effort to move more than 1,400 households into stable housing while restructuring the system’s response to homelessness.
The approach is grounded in a systemwide analysis conducted through the Continuum of Care (CoC), which evaluated shelter capacity, housing inventory, and service gaps. That analysis found that the cost of homelessness can reach as high as $96,000 per person annually, while providing housing and supportive services averages closer to $24,000 per year. As one slide put it directly, “Ending homelessness is within reach.”
At the same time, officials acknowledged that despite existing investments, “homelessness is increasing, and more resources are needed to address the crisis through targeted, strategic investment.”
A Two-Year Surge With Specific Targets
The initiative is structured in two phases, beginning with a concentrated push from 2026 through 2027. During that period, the county and its partners aim to house approximately 400 unsheltered individuals directly, assist another 1,000 households through rapid-resolution strategies, and provide targeted support to a complex-care population estimated at more than 400 individuals…