Homeless Services in Asheville and Buncombe County
Homelessness is a hot topic all across the United States. Western North Carolina is no exception. The Point in Time (PIT) count refers to the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The 2021 PIT count in Buncombe County alone was 527. While this is an overall decrease from 2020, the number of unsheltered went nearly doubled. That number is expected to be higher in 2022.
The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, churches, service organizations and nonprofits are striving to bring homelessness to functional zero. With the help of passionate volunteers and experienced staff, Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry is combating homelessness.
Homeless Shelters
In 2021, ABCCM served 489 people experiencing homelessness. Our Director of Homeless Services Tim McElyea is a member of the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee. McElyea is also the Director of the Veterans Restoration Quarters.
ABCCM’s homeless shelter for men, also known as the Veterans Restoration Quarters, served 329 Veterans, 6 civilians, and 41 emergency shelter residents last year. The Veterans Restoration Quarters has 160 beds for transitional housing, 40 beds for emergency shelter, and 50 units of permanent supportive housing for a total of 250 beds. You can read more about the differences between transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and emergency shelter here.
Watch Philip Watkins’ powerful testimony on how the Veterans Restoration Quarters saved his life.
Transformation Village is the women and children's homeless shelter, formerly known as the Steadfast House, providing 100 transitional housing beds. In 2021, ABCCM served 123 homeless women and children with an 88% successful discharge rate. Transformation Village is preparing to start Phase II, which will provide additional transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and emergency shelter.
Phase II of Transformation Village will include building 150 affordable housing units and supportive housing for the chronically homeless in WNC.
Watch Traci’s emotional story of how Transformation Village supported her in her time of need.
Crisis Ministry
In addition to shelter, ABCCM provides rental and mortgage assistance to qualified clients. When rent moratoriums were lifted in August 2021, ABCCM kicked off its Stop Evictions campaign. With help from a $125,000 grant from TD Bank and contributions from generous supporters, 810 households avoided eviction in 2021. This means that 810 families and individuals were able to sleep in their own beds under their own roofs.
How Can I Help?
Pray. Matthew 7:7 tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." As a Christian Ministry, we believe that prayer is vital in the fight against homelessness.
Pray for our homeless men, women and children as they work towards achieving stability and ultimately finding permanent housing. We're also happy to pray with and for you.
Serve. ABCCM is a volunteer-led organization. We need you to better serve the families and individuals that come to us needing rental/mortgage assistance, transitional housing, and emergency shelter.
If you're interested in serving homeless Veterans, click here. If homeless women and children are the population you want to work with, click here. Maybe you want to get in on the ground floor of our latest Ministry The Costello house. Wherever you choose to go, please know we look forward to working with you.
Give. Because of our volunteers, every dollar donated generates about $2.00 in direct services. You can donate to a specific ministry or you can visit "Needs of our Neighbors" to specify how your gift will be used.