The City of Asheville's 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count for homelessness begins today, Feb. 10, after being rescheduled from late January due to Winter Storm Fern. The annual census, which is critical for securing federal funding to address homelessness, will run through Wednesday, Feb. 11. The count directly impacts local services such as shelter availability and support programs, which in turn affect community resources and taxpayer dollars.
The 2026 CoC PIT Count, organized by Asheville's homeless strategy team, was originally scheduled for January 27-28 but was postponed due to a Winter Storm Warning for Buncombe County. City officials confirmed the new dates and said that volunteer signup details would be forthcoming via email to homelessstrategy@ashevillenc.gov. The count enumerates unsheltered individuals to inform Continuum of Care (CoC) funding allocations from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), influencing housing, job training, and economic aid programs.
Homelessness data from the PIT Count shapes millions in federal grants for Western North Carolina, directly affecting job opportunities in social services, rental assistance, and public safety resources. Recent storms have exacerbated vulnerabilities. Asheville's recent snowstorm, which brought up to 6 inches of snow downtown and 10.8 inches in Leicester, underscores infrastructure strains. The Infrastructure Recovery Board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. today and will focus on post-disaster recovery.
Buncombe County's Assistant Manager, DK Wesley, was named Asheville's next City Manager, which could influence homelessness policy execution and economic recovery efforts. Other notable stories include Canton water service being restored but conservation urged, Duke Energy planning outages for line repairs, and sanitation services remaining disrupted post-storm. A fatal dump truck crash on U.S. 19 on Feb. 9, and Mission Hospital facing scrutiny over patient discharges are also noted.