Union County health staff report rising housing need, continuing mental‑health and substance‑use efforts

Union County public health staff presented the countyState of the County Health Report for 2024 at the Consolidated Human Services Board meeting, identifying affordable housing and homelessness, mental health, and substance‑use disorder as the top priority areas.

The report, presented by Stephanie (public health staff), summarized results from the countycommunity health improvement plan (CHIP) and said the countyvision statement for housing is “All people in Union County have access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing.” The report includes indicators for wages needed to afford a two‑bedroom unit, cost‑burdened renters and homeowners, and an estimate of people experiencing homelessness pulled from local shelter counts, school system reports and other partners.

The nut graf: The presentation flagged a widening gap between wages and local rents, very low rental vacancy rates, and rising demand for shelter services, while also outlining ongoing county efforts to reduce harms from substance use and expand mental‑health services.

On housing, Stephanie said rental vacancies in the county are below 5 percent and that available units are generally not affordable. She described demand pressures and barriers including rising rents, stagnant wages, poor credit histories among some seekers, and shelter wait lists of "about 2 or 3 months" for family placements and shorter waits for single men and women. The presentation noted the county hosted an affordable housing symposium in early 2024 and cited local efforts with municipal partners and organizations such as Pride Union to explore zoning and incentive strategies.

On mental health, the report noted reductions in emergency department visits for children (age 0–17) for suicidal ideation and related visits, described school‑based behavioral health collaborative gains (a 19 percent increase in parental involvement and a 10 percent increase in services provided), and reported 77 residents completed Mental Health First Aid training in the period covered. Stephanie described an active Mental Health Solutions Team that meets every other month and the collaborative role of Atrium and other providers.

On substance use, staff described the substance use disorder task force and the countyopioid settlement work groups. The report said opioid emergency‑department visits and overdose indicators have declined in recent reporting years; the county distributed 976 naloxone kits in 2024 and has provided kits to the sheriffoffice, EMS and other partners. The family treatment court, supported by opioid settlement funds, began in March and "has treated over 40 participants" as of the end of the year, the presenter said.

The presentation also listed other public health initiatives: a child behavioral health clinic in the public health setting (a collaborative care model with NCPOW and AHEC), a Reach Out and Read literacy program for children 0–5, a FastTrack no‑cost STI screening started in February 2024 for asymptomatic patients, and environmental health work including a Clean Classrooms program and lead/asbestos mitigation support for schools and licensed child‑care facilities.

Board members asked about potential developer incentives, zoning tools and state regulatory hurdles to produce more affordable housing. The presenter and other staff discussed the possibility of drafting recommendations for the Board of County Commissioners to consider when subdivisions and new developments are proposed.

Ending: Staff said the draft report has been submitted to the state and staff expect final approval; when approved the county will publish a formatted version and distribute it with communications staff for broader community access.