Report Back

Updated 9/28/26: On September 22, the Asheville City Council held a public hearing on proposed changes to the HOME-ARP program, which would expand rental assistance and case management while giving preference to people experiencing homelessness, particularly those who first became homeless as a result of Hurricane Helene. Council discussed how people would access assistance and how funds might be divided between direct aid and nonprofit staffing, but it did not discuss our recommendations for clear prioritization rules and regular public reporting. We continue to support the amendment and encourage Council to approve it, while asking residents to contact Council before written comments close October 2 and urge members to put these safeguards in place before final approval.

At the hearing, staff explained that the amendment would add temporary rental assistance and comprehensive case management to the services supported by HOME-ARP. It would also use the region’s Coordinated Entry system to help identify and refer applicants. Council members asked how that system works, whether people seeking help through different organizations would be connected to it, and how much of the approximately $1 million for supportive services would pay for direct assistance rather than additional personnel.

Those are worthwhile oversight questions, but they did not address an important consequence of the proposed preference for folks who became homeless after Hurricane Helene. People fleeing domestic violence, trafficking, stalking, or sexual assault would remain eligible for assistance, yet the plan does not clearly explain how an immediate threat to someone’s safety would be weighed against the preference for people whose homelessness began after Helene. Council also did not discuss whether applicants could face burdensome requirements to document when or why they became homeless.

Council likewise did not discuss GAPavl’s recommendation for regular public reporting. Without information about referrals, enrollment, housing placements, wait times, households that could not be served, demographic or geographic disparities, and remaining funds, Council and the public may have difficulty determining whether the program is working fairly. The public hearing was informational only, however, and Council has not yet taken final action. There is still time to strengthen a promising amendment without delaying assistance or opposing its approval.

Total GAP Supporter Actions Taken: 12

Recipients and Responses:

Asheville City Council

• Mayor Esther Manheimer: No response
• Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley: No response
• City Council Member Bo Hess: No response
• City Council Member Kim Roney: No response
• City Council Member Maggie Ullman:  No response
• City Council Member Sage Turner: Responded, see below
• City Council Member Sheneika Smith: No response

Email from Sage Turner to a GAP Supporter:

Hi ___.

I think this is a form email, but fyi I chair HOME and am bringing this to Council for their support. 

Sage

Summary: Asheville’s proposed HOME-ARP amendment could help more people move out of homelessness by expanding rental assistance and case management. We support the proposal and believe City Council should approve it. But the amendment will also determine who is first in line to draw from a limited assistance pool. We are asking the City to adopt two safeguards: (1) clear rules for balancing the needs of folks directly impacted by Helene with other urgent needs, and (2) regular public reporting that shows who receives assistance, who remains waiting, and whether the program is supporting those most in need. These details may sound technical, but implementation guidelines can determine whether a vulnerable family obtains housing or remains homeless or endangered.

The Facts: In 2021, the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium received approximately $4.7 million through the federal Home Investment Partnerships Program–American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) program. Asheville administers the funds for a four-county consortium covering Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties. The money must be fully invested by August 2030.

The current plan allocates approximately $3 million to affordable rental housing development, $1 million to supportive services, and $705,000 to administration and planning. Supportive services were originally focused on mental health and substance-use services. City staff recommend broadening them to include short- and medium-term rental assistance and comprehensive case management. Staff believe that a rapid-rehousing approach can help people obtain housing more quickly while addressing problems that threaten their long-term housing stability.

A proposed amendment would also give preference to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly people whose first episode of homelessness occurred as a result of Hurricane Helene. Other eligible populations — including people fleeing domestic violence, trafficking, stalking, or sexual assault — would remain eligible, but they could be placed behind preferred households on a waitlist.

Finally, the City would begin using Coordinated Entry — the regional system for assessing people’s housing needs and referring them to homelessness services — along with other eligible referral sources to identify and prioritize applicants. The Asheville Regional Housing Consortium unanimously endorsed the amendment. City Council will hold a public hearing on the amendment on September 22. Written comments will be accepted through October 2, and final Council consideration is expected on October 13.

You can read the staff report here and see the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: We support the amendment. Expanding rental assistance and case management is a practical response to the region’s housing crisis, and it makes sense to recognize the additional housing instability caused by Hurricane Helene. The amendment could help the City use HOME-ARP funds more effectively and move people into housing more quickly.

But good intentions do not automatically produce fair results. The rules used to carry out this program will decide who receives limited assistance first. Without clear safeguards, someone who became homeless after Helene could receive priority over a person trying to escape an abusive partner or trafficker. That may not be what the City intends, but the proposal does not clearly explain how applicants’ competing needs will be balanced.

The City should publish understandable prioritization rules that preserve an urgent pathway for people facing immediate safety risks. It should also avoid burdensome documentation requirements that prevent people from receiving assistance because they cannot easily prove when their homelessness began.

The City should also report regularly on how the program is performing. At least quarterly, it should disclose how many households were referred, enrolled, housed, or unable to be served; how long it took people to obtain housing; whether significant demographic or geographic disparities emerged; and how much funding remains.

Public reporting is not simply an administrative exercise. Without it, residents and Council cannot know whether people are being housed promptly, whether certain communities have meaningful access, or whether particular groups are consistently left waiting. The reporting would also help ensure that the funds are used before the August 2030 deadline.

These safeguards would not delay or weaken the amendment. They would help ensure that the program fulfills its purpose, reveal unintended consequences, and give the City an opportunity to correct problems before vulnerable residents are harmed.

Things to Do (Updated 9/28/26): Contact Asheville City Council before written comments close on October 2. Tell Council that you support the HOME-ARP amendment while asking members to establish clear prioritization rules and regular public reporting guidelines before final approval.

Email Template (Updated 9/28/26): You can send an email to the Asheville City Council by filling out the form below. Our email tool will send an individually addressed email to the recipients, and enable us to track how many emails were sent overall in the campaign. If you prefer to write your own email, you can copy and paste (and adapt) our template text – please cc: or bcc: info@gapavl.org on your individualized email, so we can better track how many emails were sent. 

Important: If you receive a response to your email, please forward it to us at info@gapavl.org so we can reflect that in the report back.

To: ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov

CC: or BCC: info@gapavl.org

Subject: Support HOME-ARP – and add safeguards before final approval

Dear Mayor Manheimer and members of City Council,

I support the proposed HOME-ARP amendment and encourage Council to approve it when it returns for final consideration.

The amendment could help more people obtain housing by expanding temporary rental assistance and case management. It also makes sense to recognize the additional housing instability caused by Hurricane Helene.

At the September 22 public hearing, Council raised useful questions about access to services, direct assistance, nonprofit staffing, and oversight. However, two important safeguards were not discussed.

First, please establish clear rules explaining how the preference for people experiencing homelessness – particularly those whose first episode followed Helene – will be balanced against urgent safety and vulnerability concerns. People fleeing domestic violence, trafficking, stalking, or sexual assault should retain a meaningful pathway to immediate rental assistance. The process should also avoid documentation requirements that unfairly exclude people who cannot easily prove when or why they became homeless.

Second, please require regular public reporting on how the program is working. This reporting should include the number of households referred, enrolled, housed, waiting, or unable to receive assistance; the time required to obtain housing; any significant demographic or geographic disparities; and the amount of funding remaining.

These safeguards would not delay assistance or weaken an amendment that deserves Council’s support. They would help ensure that limited resources are distributed fairly and allow Council to identify and correct unintended problems.

Please address these matters before final approval.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Name]
[Address or neighborhood, if desired]