Asheville hotel to soon become home for the homeless

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — From hotel rooms to housing, Homeward Bound is starting a project that will house 85 people who are experiencing homelessness in the Asheville area.

Homeward Bound is buying the Days Inn off Tunnel Road and will be converting it into permanent housing. It will be the biggest project of its kind in the mountains.

Over the next year and half, Homeward Bound will convert hotel rooms into efficiency apartments at the Days Inn property. The apartments will serve some of Asheville’s most vulnerable population.

“We’re really going to be targeting those who are experiencing chronic homelessness, those who have been living unhoused for a very long time, at least over a year, and also have some type of disability,” Homeward Bound executive director Meredith Switzer said.

HOMEWARD BOUND PLANS TO RENOVATE HOTEL INTO HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS

Dogwood Health Trust is providing a $2 million leadership grant to go toward the $13.5 million project. It’s one of several housing projects Dogwood Health Trust has supported in recent months as the group works toward its goal of creating more affordable rental units in the mountains.

“Homeward Bound is addressing a huge issue we know is here in Buncombe County, as well as other counties throughout our region, to address permanent support of housing for homelessness,” said Sarah Grymes, the vice president of housing impact for Dogwood Health Trust.

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Switzer said the project will go beyond housing. She said residents will receive wrap around services, including on site medical care.

“We will have food support on site, we’ll have a lot of community partners who are here really to provide the community services that are going to be most needed by residents who live here,” she said.

Homeward Bound has been operating a similar housing model at Woodfin Apartments in downtown Asheville for the last five years.

Switzer said 90% of the people housed there have remained housed.

“Homeward Bound believes that housing is the way that you end homelessness,” Switzer said.

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Homeward Bound has been working with the city of Asheville to provide emergency housing at the Red Roof Inn during the COVID-19 pandemic. That will be ending soon. Switzer said some of the people housed at the Red Roof Inn will eventually be a part of this new project.

Switzer said they hope to finalize the purchase of the Days Inn in the next 45 to 60 days.

She said residents will spend no more than 30% of their income on rent at the property. She said housing vouchers will pick up the rest.

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