Twice each year, we survey our membership and the downtown business community. Surveys are an important tool in gathering feedback from our members. The results will be presented at our State of Downtown Luncheon on Tuesday, March 8.
Point in Time (PIT) Count Dashboard and Web Page Available on the City of Asheville Website
2021 Point in Time (PIT) count data is now available on the City of Asheville website. The PIT data is displayed via dashboard, and presents numbers on those experiencing homelessness, either in emergency shelter, transitional housing or who are unsheltered. The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on January 25, and this dashboard will be updated with the new data later in the spring.
Each year, the City of Asheville, in collaboration with a number of local organizations that focus on housing insecurity, collects data on the people in our community that are experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The data collected are aggregated, with identifying information removed, and then are reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that all communities that receive HUD funding to address homelessness conduct an annual PIT Count. This count is a one night “snapshot” that, when taken each year, can provide an overview of the population and trends over time.
“Understanding who is homeless in our community and what their needs are is essential in the work of ending homelessness. We’re excited to partner with the Office of Data and Performance to share this information with the community so that stakeholders can be empowered with the data we all need to develop strategies that move the needle on homelessness,” stated Emily Ball, Homeless Services System Performance Lead for the City of Asheville.
The dashboard displays information on homeless Asheville residents broken down by sheltered status and race. Visitors to the webpage can explore the data further by clicking the link at the bottom of the dashboard, which navigates to a spreadsheet where the data is broken down by gender, ethnicity, and veteran’s status, as well as the number of people who are chronically homeless in our community. The dashboard is a collaborative effort between the City’s Homeless Initiative in the Community and Economic Development department and the Office of Data & Performance in IT Services.
The PIT Dashboard and information regarding its findings are located on the City of Asheville’s website. For more information on the City’s Homeless Initiative, contact Brian Huskey ([email protected]) or Emily Ball ([email protected]). For information on affordable housing, emergency housing, rental assistance or down payment assistance, or to learn how to assist our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.
The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on 
Buncombe County has launched its 2043 Comprehensive Plan initiative and you can provide input. This plan will focus on the next 20-year period and will look at the relationships between land uses, infrastructure and key community services and amenities. A comprehensive plan is not limited to studying land use components – it can include other areas of focus such as safety, public health, affordability, multi-generational needs, equity, and more.
Each year, the Asheville Downtown Association selects local nonprofits to sell wristbands at its events. The nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000 and has the opportunity to display marketing materials to share their program of work with large audiences.
