A meeting originally scheduled between the Asheville Downtown Association, city of Asheville staff and Council members is now a “downtown summit” in Pack Library at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, with the public invited to attend and weigh in on the issues affecting the area.
Tag: poverty
Showing 22-42 of 51 results
Breaking the mold: complaints spotlight Asheville’s rental housing issues
Multiple complaints about mold, rot, and other woes at a Merrimon Avenue apartment complex earlier this year casts doubt on the ability of local governments to deal with what many see as a serious health issue, leaving tenants feeling powerless to get their grievances addressed. And with the Asheville area having some of the highest housing costs in the state and one-third of its working population earning low wages, many local renters face similar issues.
Homeless, nonprofits, APD vie over downtown policing
At a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 18, city of Asheville staff and police officers met with homeless activists and local nonprofit representatives to discuss a new law enforcement approach that focuses on more arrests in the city’s downtown. Responses varied, ranging from concerns about the impacts of a failing system to criticisms of the Asheville Police Department’s new strategy.
Stepping on toes: in surprise Asheville visit, McCrory defends policies
Gov. Pat McCrory spoke to the Council of Independent Business Owners this afternoon, asserting he was “stepping on some toes” to lower taxes and make the state run more like a business.
‘We fight’: Moral Monday brings thousands to downtown Asheville to protest legislature
An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people showed up for Mountain Moral Monday this evening, filling Pack Square Park and protesting the policies of the North Carolina General Assembly. It was one of the largest demonstrations in Asheville’s recent history. Photo by Julia Ritchey.
From homelessness to hope: UPDATE
Last year Xpress profiled Patrick Littlejohn, a formerly homeless composer who pulled himself out of poverty through music. He recently received a full scholarship to the Practical Schillinger School of Music.
Photos by Rich Orris.
Putting numbers to Asheville’s housing crunch
It’s commonly said that housing’s hard to find in Asheville. Numbers from the U.S. Census and elsewhere shine a light on exactly how hard.
Crowd shows up to object to Progress rate hike
At a five-hour hearing conducted by the North Carolina Utilities Commission last night, every speaker except those representing the Council of Independent Business Owners and Biltmore Farms objected to rate hikes proposed by Progress Energy. The speakers’ reasons for opposition ranged from the impact of the rate increases on the working poor to projected environmental damage. Photo by Max Cooper
Post-recession Buncombe still struggling, local poverty rates surpass state and national average
After sharing 42 slides worth of charts, data and graphs, an independent economic consultant speaking to local doctors, health advocates, politicians and board members at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services made a conclusion: Though the recession started five years ago, the numbers show that Buncombe County still has “a ways to go.” Highlights of the presentation, along with the full presentation, can be found in this post. (Slide image courtesy of SYNEVA Economics)
After President Obama’s gone: what the national media missed about Asheville
After President Barack Obama’s visit earlier this week, an inevitable outpouring of attention from the national media followed. Here’s the facts — harsher and more fascinating — that they missed. Photo by Max Cooper.
How do the poor eat well down here?
I have lived in Asheville for a little more than a year and love it. One of the reasons I moved from New England was because of the cost of living. I bought a darling house for a price that wouldn't be possible up North. However, I find the food here to be extraordinarily expensive. […]
Give and take at The Family Resource Center at Emma
Pat LaPier, president of the Buncombe County Foster Care Association, is in a unique position. She donates her time to the community and also receives services from Children First/Communities In Schools Family Resource Center at Emma. Jodi Ford of Children First/Communities In Schools tells her story. Photos by Jodi Ford.
N.C. families still reeling from great recession – infographic from N.C. Justice Center
High Poverty Levels Resistant to Economic Recovery – Families Still Reeling from the Great Recession (infographic from N.C. Justice Center)
Council approves city water for residents near former CTS site
Asheville City Council members approved extending city water to residents near the contaminated former CTS of Asheville site at their Sept. 25 meeting.
Asheville on a pedestal: What the success stories miss
The Atlantic‘s Cities blog has highlighted one of the cities’ great success stories — its downtown revitalization — as a model for others to follow. That’s true, but it’s not the whole story, and the rest reveals important issues urbanism discussions often neglect.
Educated, high rent, low pay: an economic snapshot of Buncombe
The NC Justice Center has released economic “snapshots” of North Carolina’s 100 counties. The data for Buncombe Count reveals an area with an educated populace and low unemployment, but struggling with affordability and low wages.
Hungry city: Asheville area country’s 3rd worst in food hardship
Asheville’s food hardship problem isn’t going anywhere. According to a newly-released study from the Food Research and Action Center, the Asheville metro area is the third hardest-hit in the country, up from seventh last year.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Java for Justice benefit events set for Feb. 22-24
Java for Justice, a joint effort between Pisgah Legal, the Van Winkle law firm, the Asheville Radio Group, and area coffee shops to raise funds for the legal aid nonprofit, begins today and lasts through Feb. 24, with Feb. 22 featuring a day of events.
Changes celebrated at Buncombe County Health and Human Services Department
About 75 department heads, staffers, elected officials and others gathered Feb. 15 to celebrate recent renovations to the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Department building in downtown Asheville.
(Pictured here: Board chair David Gantt and Commissioner Carol Peterson try out a new kids play area in the building’s lobby. Photos by Bill Rhodes)
Invest in children, invest in the future
I’d like to call your attention to another Big Idea in the works for 2012, The Success Equation: a movement to reduce the incidence and impact of child poverty and create a community where all children thrive [”Big Ideas for 2012,” Jan. 4 and Jan. 11, Xpress]. Scientific research on toxic stress and brain development, […]
Pisgah Legal offers five ideas for “putting a dent in poverty in 2012”
In response to Xpress’ request for big ideas for 2012 from around the community, the team at Pisgah Legal, a local non-profit that offers aid and advocacy for low-income residents, offered five ideas for “putting a dent in poverty in 2012.”