[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6627335,"mediaKeyId","2728647-0494a7362762171e0f37f90ddc5dcbbf","parentId",2728647,"title","Twin County coalition urges $1 million for permanent supportive housing, asks council to fund navigation program","audioSeconds",6908,"startMs",3257000,"endMs",10165000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2728647-0494a7362762171e0f37f90ddc5dcbbf&start=3257&end=10165","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2728647-0494a7362762171e0f37f90ddc5dcbbf/thumbnail_3257000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6627335/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/Twin-County-coalition-urges-1-million-for-permanent-supportive-housing-asks-council-to-fund-navigation-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627335-903176a8a52900c27da54efe436be95b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403229&Signature=R8TRJhnjUMJw8TdveDWGzdrFfi0jstHdqE4uH~f1AcSYzL-wDjdhuYd-eiM00KxYsOR2g~gVgtEQ7XRU1szVmRO~p6QrWmV43pgItUUguyr2FUGPxNGCBqIOVKmKAiylDr7y8UfqaX2tIMbJSCktd13KML-QHcFOYocLFsg4TpUfsQYiGe23vXp5rNq0F4qkVRgrZW9-exk9XILO-mJeuOVuz3BY6gAnwLYvBSv3iK5AI7SzppgGBcqDkQXBFkwmOSs7FqO2JzGKIChv1-6b92W3ErIjkXxS6R1w~TnbkCn3MfTgg4RcisAsfNOve~vusoeYcSIIxU5wdwfz7xipKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rocky Mount","date","2025-03-21T16:11:24.73Z","article","A United Way‑convened Twin County Homeless Coalition presented council members with local homelessness data, personal accounts from people who experienced housing instability and a set of funding recommendations intended to create a local plan, navigation services and permanent supportive housing.

Ginny Morbutter, executive director of United Way Tar River Region, opened the presentation and said the coalition is \"a group of dedicated, focused, and community‑driven leaders\" seeking to lay out recommendations for the Twin County area. The group brought three people with lived experience to the meeting: a parent enrolled in the school‑linked program, a Bassett Center resident and a Rocky Mount police officer; those speakers described short‑term shelter stays, unpaid bills and hardship tied to job loss and bereavement.

Why it matters: presenters said the local data and personal testimony show rising need for both short‑term shelter and longer‑term, supportive housing. The coalition urged the city to help sustain planning and start a homelessness navigation program and a permanent supportive housing initiative that the group argues will reduce emergency service costs over time.

What the coalition proposed
- Local plan to end homelessness: United Way is leading a community‑driven planning effort (the council previously allocated $300,000 of state grant funding for a plan at a January meeting, the coalition said). The plan would be a prerequisite to seek additional state and federal funding and could support the creation of a more local Continuum of Care structure.
- Homelessness navigation program: the coalition proposed a navigation hub staffed by a master’s‑level social worker, operated by United Way and located in Braswell Library space; the request for the navigation program is $330,000 spread across three years. The navigator would provide street outreach coordination, rapid connections to services, and case management.
- Permanent supportive housing: the coalition recommended $1,000,000 as seed funding for a “housing first” permanent supportive‑housing model (a village or campus with on‑site services). Presenters cited model programs in Austin (Community First Village), Hickory (Family Care Center) and Raleigh (Kings Ridge) and described those programs’ on‑site services and high housing retention rates.

Data and local impact
- United Way reported that in 2024, 45% of 5,130 needs logged through 2‑1‑1 were housing related; 49% of those housing requests were unmet, with lack of available resources the most common reason listed.
- Nash County Public Schools staff said Nash identified 254 students without a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence as of March 1; most of those students were \"doubled up\" with family or friends or living in motels.
- Edgecombe County Schools said their identified McKinney‑Vento students have increased in 2024–25, with the largest living‑arrangement category being doubled‑up households.

Service providers’ perspective
Cindy Worthy of United Community Ministries said UCM operates two shelters (the Bassett Center for families and a community shelter for individuals) and aims to move residents to transitional or permanent housing within 90 days but frequently cannot because funding and affordable units are unavailable. She told council UCM’s annual operating need is roughly $672,000 and that UCM receives city, county and private support; UCM requested continued local support.

Presenters noted local resources and next steps
Nikki Hill, assistant city manager, said council had approved funding for a local plan in January and that the coalition’s proposed navigation program and seed housing money would help implement the strategy that planning would define. Presenters said they are pursuing other sources — including potential county opioid‑settlement funds and project‑based vouchers through the housing authority — and that partners such as Kings Ridge in Raleigh have offered pro bono technical assistance.

Requests and follow up
The coalition asked council to consider allocating funds within the FY2026 budget process for a three‑year navigation program ($330,000) and to consider $1 million in seed funding for permanent supportive housing. Coalition members said they would pursue additional public and private funding and asked council to coordinate outreach to Nash and Edgecombe counties and other local stakeholders.

Ending note: Council members thanked the group for the detailed presentation; several members said they supported a collaborative approach with the counties rather than the city being the sole funder. The coalition said it will continue stakeholder outreach and that the next coalition meeting is scheduled for April 30.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Retreat, March 21","oneSentenceSummary","United Way‑led Twin County Homeless Coalition presented local homelessness data, three personal accounts and recommendations including a local plan to end homelessness, a homelessness navigation program and $1 million seed funding for permanent supportive housing; the council previously approved $300,000 toward a local plan.","taxTitle","Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina","taxId",5685,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627340,"City staff outline $255 million five‑year capital plan and signal possible bond issues",2115,62000,2177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2728647-0494a7362762171e0f37f90ddc5dcbbf&start=62&end=2177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2728647-0494a7362762171e0f37f90ddc5dcbbf/thumbnail_62000.jpg","/articles/6627340/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/City-staff-outline-255-million-fiveyear-capital-plan-and-signal-possible-bond-issues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627340-a92717983db24aef0077f94e0793e040/orig.mp4?Expires=1770403229&Signature=lpf9FUzD9YkYTS~lu6bPLckhUNQtpmhmgDrqmHYgZAnGcRiGn9RhChfon2SZ2V4rGr-ZQ7ipVvuCB00PH0KUhjn7TkGYxFt5ZMvcX17uOmGpRqoFX8x1EyvVg~HFmB70-w-FjH07jxMKijR8A-86IAbdk1EVyOlZIOS0HHs9hXahgQ4BKAAZT6TGWNRfxLJNNi~7jEZghsH83ZLSzWzdgco2LITT6Uk0ItnpXDKgKGazOL~t-Om8-c2Sk797vdk3VlcGjobXZ0Z2sri7On5JUK8WxAo8d7wg0fv9rb8egSWztz9LLFYMZRUakXEBGrmcntUMXnxgkfwHX6m4aaenkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a first draft of a five‑year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) covering fiscal years 2026–2030 and asked the City Council to review priorities and feedback as the budget process proceeds.

Ken Hunter, a city staff presenter, told council the general‑government CIP totals \"just over $255,000,000\" for 2026–2030 and that staff currently projects about $34,000,000 of that could fall in fiscal 2026. He described the submission as \"a first run at these proposals\" and said revisions are expected as staff prepares the 2026 budget.

The presentation separated general‑government projects (Part A) from utilities (Part B) and stressed that the CIP list focuses on city‑owned physical infrastructure with project costs over $100,000 or projects financed rather than paid from current operating funds. Hunter said the city is exploring a mix of cash/reserve funding, installment financing and possible bond issues.

Why it matters: staff flagged large, multi‑year projects and financing choices that would affect taxes, rates and debt capacity. Hunter said planners are considering approximately $70 million in bonded general‑government projects in a future multi‑year program and noted that general obligation bonds \"do require voter referendum here in North Carolina.\" For utilities, staff described a potential revenue bond package of roughly $63 million across electric, sewer and possibly stormwater to finance long‑life utility assets.

Key projects and funding notes
- Fire Station 2: Hunter said the project (contract and financing) was awarded in fiscal 2024 and is under construction, and that he \"can also report ... that that project will come in on budget.\" He characterized it as a >$10 million project.
- Judicial Center Phase 1: staff said state appropriations total $8.5 million for the project and that approximately $4.5 million of that is planned for immediate work; demolition and site acquisition have begun.
- Facilities: staff identified the Imperial Center roof and window replacements and improvements to the environmental services complex (Thorpe Road transfer station) as near‑term priorities.
- Parks & Recreation: the CIP lists Sunset Park work and additional greenway extensions, including efforts west of I‑95 and Ward 5 improvements.
- Technology & communications: the plan includes data‑center expansion, cybersecurity support (a vCISO/VSISO), and major radio and transmitter upgrades for public‑safety communications.
- Utilities: staff said the utility CIP is large — Hunter summarized the utilities five‑year total with electric making up roughly $94.5 million of the package and noted a fiscal‑year‑2026 utilities projection of about $58.7 million (compared with about $31.7 million expected this year). Several stormwater projects depend on FEMA hazard‑mitigation funding; staff said delays in FEMA action have pushed out construction for the downtown drainage project.

Financing and timing issues
Hunter described three primary financing approaches: pay‑as‑you‑go using cash/reserves, installment financing (traditional loans), and bonds. He said the city is working with Davenport (financial advisors) to assess capacity and that bond issuance would require a referendum for general obligation debt. Hunter spelled out that, even if authorized by referendum, bonds are typically issued in tranches rather than as a lump sum and that LGC approval is required for final financing.

Council members pressed staff on timing and priorities. Several council members emphasized Ward 5 park needs and asked whether projects such as Fire Station 8 (proposed west of I‑95) could be accelerated; staff said location and service‑area definitions would affect design and timing. Council members also raised utility territory and load‑management questions; staff said the city’s franchise area is secure and that infrastructure investments for economic development would be evaluated carefully so existing customers do not subsidize speculative expansions.

What’s next
Staff asked council to use the CIP presentation to inform budget‑year prioritization. Hunter said the CIP will be revised and brought into the fiscal‑year‑2026 operating budget deliberations, and that staff will return with more detailed cost estimates and financing scenarios.

Ending note: Council and staff scheduled follow‑up budget work sessions in April and agreed to continue CIP review and to discuss financing options with Davenport.","City staff presented a first draft of a five‑year capital improvement plan covering general government and utility projects, identified roughly $255 million in general‑government investments and large utility projects that may require revenue or general obligation bonds, and sought council guidance on priorities and financing options.","actionData","errors"]

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Twin County coalition urges $1 million for permanent supportive housing, asks council to fund navigation program

City staff outline $255 million five‑year capital plan and signal possible bond issues