Member Newsletter: June 21, 2024

Board and Membership Meetings - June 20, 2024

The focus of the Board meeting was a presentation by Friendship for Affordable Housing, an affordable housing developer currently under contract to purchase the Ramada property to create permanent supportive housing in partnership with Homeward Bound and the VA Medical Center.  The Board will assign further due diligence to the Funding Committee who will report findings back to the Board at their next meeting, where the Board will develop a recommendation to share with City Council as they consider a funding request of $1.5 million for the project.  Project details are available in the Board meeting materials.

The Board asked thorough and thoughtful questions, creating an energized transition to the meeting of the full Membership directly following the Board meeting. The focus of the Membership meeting was an opportunity for small groups of members to meet with pairs of Board members to engage in an intentional listening session. The groups addressed three questions:

1. What is the CoC doing well?
2. What would you like to see the Board prioritize?
3. What questions or input do you have about the Ramada project proposal?

This listening session will help to inform the Board's decision making as they set strategy and stand up the remaining Committees.

Nominating and Membership Committee Application

At their meeting on June 13th, the CoC Board voted to reopen the application for the Nominating and Membership Committee in order to ensure the most diverse pool of candidates possible. The Nominating and Membership Committee slate of candidates will be determined by members of the original Nominating and Membership Committee who were elected at the June 13th meeting, along with a small number of board members and Lead Agency staff. This slate will go before the full Board for a vote. Early work of this committee will be to seat the remaining three standing committees of the CoC and initiate the second round of board applications to fill the remaining Board vacancies. If you are interested in serving on the Nominating and Membership Committee, please click the button below to fill out the form.

Shelter Planning Work Group Membership Advisor Sessions

Join the CoC’s Shelter Planning Work Group to talk about planning to create new emergency shelter. Share ideas, give feedback, and ask questions!

Wednesday, June 26th

Session 1: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. at Haywood Street Church (297 Haywood Street)

Session 2: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center (285 Livingston Street)

New Members: Attend Orientation

All new CoC members are required to attend a one-hour orientation in order to be eligible to vote during meetings of the full membership. Orientations will be available on an ongoing basis and new dates will be announced as they become available. Below are the orientation dates for June:

Monday, July 8th at 6 p.m. (In-Person Only) 

AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina Wellness and Opportunity Center (216 Ashland Avenue, upstairs)

Friday, July 26th at 12 p.m. (Virtual)

Emergency Solutions Grant

Part of the CoC's role is directing resources to have the greatest impact, including two annual funding opportunities from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Continuum of Care Program Competition.  This year, the Asheville-Buncombe CoC is eligible for $123,887 in ESG funding to be used in calendar year 2025.

CoC Member organizations that are nonprofit organizations or local governments are eligible to apply.  ESG-eligible activities are specifically Emergency Services (Street Outreach and Emergency Shelter) and Housing Stabilization Services (Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Rehousing, and HMIS).   

The CoC Funding Committee will review all applications received and make recommendations to the Board for approval.  Homeless Strategy Division staff will facilitate submission of the Board-approved applications.

Letters of Intent are due June 24, 2024 and applications are due July 12, 2024.  Full details and deadlines are available on the Funding page managed by the Homeless Strategy Division.

Build Trust Through Unity, Collaboration, and Performance

There will be meaningful communication and collaboration between leadership, providers, systems, people experiencing homelessness, and the community to create transparency and trust.