Cumberland County will spend $250,000 in unused pandemic-era funds to help residents experiencing homelessness.

The money will fund a pilot of the Cumberland County Community Development Department’s Homeless Prevention and Stabilization Voucher Program, which the board of commissioners approved on Aug. 25.

The program will pay up to three months of rent and a security deposit for residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It will also provide a one-time payment of up to $500 toward an electric, water or gas bill, and up to seven nights at a motel if no other shelter is available. 

Vouchers will also cover the cost of transportation to work, medical appointments, classes and other community resources within the county. Out-of-county trips will only be covered for family reunification or when no other permanent housing is available.

“It’s definitely well-needed,” said Veronica Jones, vice chair of the county board of commissioners, during the Monday meeting. “We know that [homelessness] is a crisis.”

Eligible residents will be referred to the program by the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care (CoC), a homelessness prevention and intervention organization that partners with the City of Fayetteville and the county. Eligible residents must:

  • Meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homeless: someone “who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” Or they must be considered at risk of homelessness, meaning they lacked an overnight residence within 14 days and have no resources to obtain other housing.
  • Make $42,200 or less per year, the low- to moderate-income threshold. 
  • Demonstrate a clear plan toward housing stability, including involvement in case management services.

The program will prioritize those displaced by the closure of the Salvation Army of the Sandhills’ Fayetteville homeless shelter and the Regency Inn. Pregnant women, families with children and individuals with disabilities will also receive priority, according to the program’s guidelines. 

The pilot will last six months or until the funds run out. Once they do, county staff will provide a report to commissioners on whether the program should be continued, expanded or modified. Their determination will be based on metrics like the number of households served, housing placement and stabilization success rates, and how many residents requested repeat assistance.

CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville.