Continuum of Care: Point-in-time count shows increase in unsheltered homelessness and demographic disparities; HUD funding changes announced

Lacey Hoyle, lead agency staff for Buncombe County’s Continuum of Care, presented a quarterly update to commissioners on June 3 that covered the 2025 point-in-time (PIT) count, HUD funding results, board and committee activity, and near-term planning.

Hoyle said the PIT count is a one-night snapshot (conducted the night of Jan. 28) of people meeting HUD’s literal-homelessness definition (emergency shelter, transitional housing or unsheltered). The county’s 2025 PIT count recorded 427 people in emergency or transitional shelter and 328 unsheltered, for a total of 755 individuals counted; transitional housing beds decreased by 93, largely because a veterans program lost capacity after flooding.

Hoyle said 116 of the 328 unsheltered survey respondents reported they became unsheltered because of Tropical Storm Helene. She also noted that FEMA’s Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) program had 1,548 people in hotels on the night of the PIT count; HUD guidance requires that the lead agency include those individuals in HUD submissions by applying demographic extrapolation, but Hoyle said the slides she presented do not include the TSA counts in the demographic tables shown.

Demographic disparities were evident in the PIT data: people identifying as Black or African American comprise about 6% of Buncombe County’s population (per 2024 ACS) but represented 17.6% of PIT respondents in 2025; American Indian/Alaska Native respondents were 0.6% of the county population but 2.1% of PIT respondents. The count also showed an increase in respondents reporting chronic homelessness and in self-reported serious mental illness and substance-use disorders.

Hoyle reviewed HUD CoC funding outcomes: overall CoC funding awards were slightly lower this cycle than last year (a national trend). Two Homeward Bound permanent supportive housing projects placed in tier 2 were not funded for about $290,000 total (roughly 17 households of capacity); the provider is pursuing other options. A new rapid-rehousing project for domestic-violence survivors received about $89,000, and a renewal for rapid rehousing for domestic-violence survivors received about $307,000; the City of Asheville received planning and HMIS funding.

Ho yur discussed organizational matters: the CoC board is recruiting for four open seats; the housing authority interim CEO is serving as a nonvoting liaison; a new shelter-planning work group will develop options for low-barrier shelter and may use ARPA and CDBG-DR funds; the board adopted a plan to compensate people with lived experience if funding can be identified. The CoC plans to adopt a three-year strategic plan on June 12 organized around four objectives including decreasing unsheltered homelessness and increasing exits to permanent housing.

Commissioners asked about shelter-bed utilization; Hoyle said some available beds go unused for reasons including program rules, client needs (pets, qualifications) and geographic barriers. The CoC is launching a shelter-planning work group this week to examine utilization and to design low-barrier shelter capacity. Hoyle said coordinated entry technical assistance from HUD has resumed after earlier delays and the coordinated entry work group will resume with TA to improve efficiency.

Commissioner Horton serves as a nonvoting liaison to the CoC board and Hoyle said she and the CoC will present the strategic plan for formal adoption next week.