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Commissioners back drafting letter to state supporting Healthy Opportunities Pilot funding
Summary
Commissioners agreed to prepare a letter supporting the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program after a public comment request; presenters and commissioners stressed the program’s local economic and health impacts and agreed to place the item on a future meeting agenda for formal action.
Commissioners discussed a draft letter to the North Carolina General Assembly supporting reinstatement or funding for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program on July 15 after a public comment request prompted local leaders to seek county support.
Commissioner Wells, who helped draft the letter with Commissioners Horton and Chair Edwards, described HOP as a network of services that had supported food access, transportation, housing and other social determinants of health in Western North Carolina. Wells said the program produced a large local economic impact and cited figures compiled by Impact Health: "When you look at the specific... the food program... you've got the, 74,000,000 broader economic impact from just that one program in Western North Carolina," Wells said, adding that the county-level outlay included more than $21 million in Buncombe County and that the program supported farms in the region.
Wells said the pilot generated local employment and income, noting roughly "555 jobs" and "labor income over 22,000,000" tied to the food program’s economic effects. She and other commissioners urged sending the letter and encouraged broader regional support from other counties and local partners.
Commissioners agreed to add a discussion of the letter to new business at the next formal meeting so the board could speak and consider a formal vote. Staff indicated the letter would return for board action at the regular meeting rather than be approved during the briefing.
Several nonprofit providers were named in discussion as program partners and likely stakeholders should the legislature consider restoring funding.
