Asheville – Results from Asheville’s 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) count were announced at the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care’s membership meeting on March 26. To receive HUD funding, Continuums of Care are required to locate homeless individuals, both sheltered and unsheltered, at least every other year, and these counts must occur on one of the last ten nights of January.
On the evening of January 28, 135 volunteers, including 60 Continuum of Care members, participated in the Asheville-Buncombe count. Some volunteers were stationed at locations frequented by the homeless, while others were assigned to canvass among 27 regions. To qualify as homeless, a person had to be living outdoors, in a shelter, or in transitional housing. Individuals couch-surfing at a friend’s place, staying in their parents’ basement, or incarcerated do not count. People were considered unsheltered if they were sleeping in places such as doorsteps, cars, tents, or under blankets.
Canvassers not only counted individuals; they also collected information about their demographics, reasons for homelessness, and the duration of their situation. One new question this year asked whether individuals had lost their homes due to Helene, and 35% of the unsheltered reported that they had. Another question was, “What is one thing you wish our community understood about homelessness?” Recurring themes in the responses included a desire for housing and jobs, as well as a clarification that not all homeless individuals struggle with substance abuse…