The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC) board voted unanimously on Sept. 11 to earmark $250,000 in federal funds for nightly emergency shelter beds, a move board members say could lay the groundwork for a long-term alternative to the city’s seasonal Code Purple program.
The decision is part of a broader effort to address homelessness in West Asheville, where concerns have grown among residents, businesses and service providers. At the CoC board’s August meeting, members cited increasing reports of open drug use, trespassing, discarded syringes and fires near encampments — concerns that intensified after a July 7 fire at the Goodwill Industries complex on Patton Avenue.
In response, a working group of eight board members met three times over the past month to develop a three-part strategy focused on coordinated street outreach, harm reduction and expanded shelter capacity. The $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funds (CDBG-DRF) will help support the shelter expansion…