Government

Missing Middle Housing Initiative

The City of Asheville has hired a consultant, Opticos, to launch an intensive study of Missing Middle Housing opportunities in the city and to make recommendations to the City Council sometime toward the end of the year. These recommendations will likely lead to a directive to City staff to develop a Missing Middle Housing Plan.

As part of this study, Opticos and the city Department of Planning & Urban Design the formed a Missing Middle Housing Advisory Committee to give input that will help shape the Missing Middle Housing recommendations.

The advisory committee has 16 members, each representing an identified stakeholder, such as builders, affordable housing advocates, and the Urban forestry Commission.

The Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods is one of those stakeholders.

The following links will provide content about the Missing Middle Housing Study, as well as periodic updates by Patrick Gilbert, CAN's representative on the Missing Middle Housing Advisory Committee.

Homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County

We continue to work to reduce homlessness while ensuring that neighborhoods and businesses have a voice in the city and county plans.  The recommendations from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) is expected in January 2023.  To learn more about NAEH and the presentations they have made to the city/county Homeless Initiative Advisory Commission (HIAC) you can access those documents:

June 2022  July 2022  August 2022  September 2022  October 2022  Emergency Shelter 5 Keys

At the August 24, 2022 General Membership Meeting Emily Ball Homeless Strategy Division Manager City of Asheville spoke for an hour and answered questions from the attendees for another 30 minutes.  If you missed it, please see the following documents, minutes and video recording:  

Homelessness Planning, 2022 Homeless Count, Video of Meeting, Questions Answered, Meeting Minutes

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To End Unsheltered Homelessness in Asheville, CAN Needs To Hear From YOU!

In partnership with the city of Asheville, Buncombe County, Dogwood Trust, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), CAN is reaching out to ALL ASHEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS in an effort to:

- Better understand the factors behind the increase in unsheltered homelessness in Asheville.

- Use that understanding to develop a set of actionable strategies and recommendations that will improve our community’s response to unsheltered homelessness while protecting neighborhood safety and resilience. 

Want to have your voice/opinion heard in this important effort? 

Here are two ways you can help immediately:

  • If you have opinions on homelessness in Asheville - fill out the Comprehensive Solutions to Unsheltered Homelessness Asheville Community Survey being conducted by the NAEH. Members of CAN helped to develop this survey which asks for input about residents' experiences, thoughts, and impressions of homelessness in Asheville. To take this anonymous survey, click here. Your response will assist with compiling information on the needs and recommendations for addressing unsheltered homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County.  
  • If you have direct experience with the unsheltered homeless in your neighborhood, please apply to participate in a 10-person NAEH focus group that will be scheduled sometime during the week of August 15. To apply, please send an email to president@asheville-can.org with your date/time availability for the week of August 15 and your contact information.
Click here to learn more. 
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