Buncombe considers funding for more low-barrier shelter beds

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners reviewed $3.6 million in funding requests that would add 18 beds to three area low-barrier homeless shelters, although a national agency recommends 100 more beds.

Low-barrier shelters do not require ID or sobriety and are open 24/7. Some shelters allow families to stay together and some allow pets.

Haywood Street Respite requested $1.6 million to add 13 beds to nine existing beds, requiring adding a second floor and an elevator to its Patton Avenue location, according to a presentation from Lacy Hoyle, Buncombe’s homelessness program manager. Adult men and women will be welcome at Haywood Street, including those in need of mental or behavioral health services, including sex offenders.

A $1.3 million request from Safe Shelter would add five beds at Trinity United Methodist Church’s educational building — vacated by PEAK Academy — and fund a sprinkler system and showers.

The Salvation Army requested $980,000 to maintain its current 20-bed operations for another year.

Both Safe Shelter and the Salvation Army welcome adults and families with children younger than 18 but do not admit sex offenders. Haywood Street Respite and Safe Shelter allow pets.

“[Pets] are new for Safe Shelter, not new for Haywood Street. It is more common now to increase access,” wrote Lillian M. Govus, Buncombe County’s communications and public engagement director, in an email to Xpress.

All three facilities offer community health workers on staff, substance abuse support and housing placement.

Commissioner Parker Sloan commended the Continuum of Care (CoC) on how quickly it responded to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NEAH) recommendations to increase low-barrier shelter capacity for the homeless. The CoC is a consortium of local government and other organizations addressing homelessness in the community.

The work was spurred by a January 2023 NAEH report that recommended 100 more shelter beds in the community, among other recommendations.

Since the report, Haywood Street Respite, Safe Shelter and the Salvation Army added 43 beds, bringing their total to 97 beds.

The CoC board recommended full funding for Haywood Street Respite and The Salvation Army but partial funding for Safe Shelter.

Safe Shelter still has to obtain rezoning and other permits to pursue its plans. The CoC board recommended $1 million for Safe Shelter’s current location in the church. The organization applied for a temporary use permit, which will allow it to move its existing 20 beds into the education building. Safe Shelter will add five more beds once it receives a permanent permit.

“I’m impressed with these three [recommendations],” said Sloan.

“We’re in a really different place as a community than we were just two years ago, when you’re thinking about … the number of beds. I would regularly hear stories about families with a single dad and kids living in their car because they were not eligible for any local shelter bed,” said Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara.

If ultimately approved, this expansion will bring the area’s total low-barrier beds, spread across Haywood Street Respite, Safe Shelter and the Salvation Army to 115.

The proposals are scheduled to come before commissioners for a vote on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Broadening broadband access

Nearly 1,000 locations in rural Buncombe County will get improved internet access after commissioners approved $3.6 million for a broadband infrastructure project.

BellSouth Telecommunications will pitch in about $3 million toward the $10.3 million project, which will expand access to the Broad River, Upper Hominy and Fairview communities.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology will pitch in another $3.6 million for the project.

Buncombe has already spent $600,000 of its overall broadband budget, leaving the county about $700,000 short of what it needs for this project to help close the gap. The board approved using $300,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds, as well as reallocating another $411,000 from leftover funds originally meant for Medicaid-related expenses.

Public comment

Three speakers addressed the board, two commenting on the makeup of an 11-member volunteer committee to review and recommend regulations for short-term rentals (STRs), which the board appointed at its Aug. 20 meeting.

Gay Weber, chief operating officer of Carolina Morgan Vacation Rentals, presented a letter expressing concern about the current composition of the task force.

“While we recognize the importance of including a variety of voices, we are shocked that no professional property managers were included in the task force. Our expertise and experience in managing vacation rentals provides us with a unique perspective that we believe is crucial to this discussion,” Weber said.

Mark Bastin, chief marketing officer from Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals, voiced similar concerns.

Real estate broker Randall Blankenship expressed concerns about the task force’s rush to complete regulations without a thorough data review.

After public comment, board Chair Brownie Newman noted that the task force included a member of GreyBeard Realty, which manages more than 450 vacation and long-term rentals in the area. Chip Craig, owner and founder of GreyBeard Realty, said the appointee from GreyBeard was a broker and not a property manager.

The community members selected for the committee include real estate professionals, STR owners and other business owners, and affordable housing advocates, Newman said. The committee met for the first time Aug. 28. Its next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.