From Staff Reports

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County, has released a request for proposals to hire a consultant to develop an actionable plan to address unsheltered homelessness in the city and the county, the city announced in a Feb. 16 press release.

“In addition to bringing extensive experience with evidence-based practices, the consultant will engage with local stakeholders, including people who are unsheltered, service- providers, neighborhoods and business and faith communities, to conduct a needs assessment and to develop recommendations,” the release stated.

“The consultant’s work will be funded by Dogwood Health Trust — and the City of Asheville will be the administrative and contracting point of contact for this collaborative effort.”

Proposals are due March 18 and representatives from the city, county and Dogwood Health Trust will participate in the selection process, with an award anticipated in late April.

“On Feb. 3, the City of Asheville released a Point-in-Time Count dashboard, which identified 527 people experiencing homelessness in Asheville in the 2021 count,” the release noted.

“The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on Jan. 25, 2022, and the dashboard will be updated to reflect that data later this spring.

“To stay up to date, please follow the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee. HIAC meetings take place on the fourth Friday of every other month.

“The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Dogwood Health Trust look forward to engaging with the community in this important project,” the release concluded.