Homeward Bound Adds 70 Beds to Fill Asheville Shelter Gap

Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina is adding 70 emergency shelter beds to its Code Purple program starting Nov. 1, bringing its total capacity at the Center of Hope from 20 to 90. The expansion comes as Buncombe County officials project more than 100 fewer regular and winter shelter beds across the community this season.

The new beds will serve men, couples, and individuals with pets. Homeward Bound staff and volunteers will manage the operation at the Center of Hope, a building previously used by the Salvation Army. This arrangement replaces the use of the AHOPE Day Center for these specific emergency nights.

The shift follows a decision by the Salvation Army to pause its regular residential shelter program on Nov. 1 due to funding shortages. That pause affects approximately 65 year-round shelter beds. While the new partnership keeps the building active during dangerous winter weather, it does not restore the year-round services the Salvation Army provided.

Alanna Kinsella, director of homeless services at Homeward Bound, said the organization is working to maximize available resources. “I think it’s really amazing that we can come together and work together for Code Purple and provide some more beds,” Kinsella said. She noted that the ideal scenario would involve the Salvation Army operating full time.

Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care activates Code Purple when temperatures or wind chills drop to 32 degrees or below, or when temperatures sit between 33 and 40 degrees with precipitation. The nonprofit estimates it will provide approximately 7,200 overnight bed stays between November and April, serving more than 150 people during that period.

Kinsella emphasized that the need for shelter exists beyond these specific weather triggers. “Code Purple tends to be a fill-in-the-gap type of shelter,” she said. “And it would be really great just for us to have a low-barrier shelter in Asheville that would offer the same things as Code Purple, but wouldn’t be dependent on inclement weather.”

Asheville and Buncombe County have each budgeted $100,000 for the 2026-27 season, doubling their contributions from last year. The city council approved an agreement allowing the city to accept and administer the county’s funds. ABCCM will also maintain 35 shelter beds for women and women with children, alongside 40 planned overflow beds from Safe Shelter. The winter season runs through April 30, 2027.