The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Committee to Address Homelessness held its first meeting on May 15, 2023. The committee, which was renamed to Unhoused Support Center Committee, is comprised of Board of Commissioners Vice Chairwoman Veronica Jones, who chairs the committee, and Commissioners Pavan Patel and Henry Tyson.
On Sept. 27, 2023, the Board of Commissioners announced that the Unhoused Support Center would be located near Downtown Fayetteville on Hawley Lane off of Grove Street on a site adjacent to the former Pauline Jones Elementary School, which is currently used by Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) as an Education Center. County officials anticipate partnering with FTCC to provide programming to assist unhoused residents with developing the skills needed to obtain permanent employment.
Cumberland County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Unhoused Support Center on Feb. 19, 2024, after the Fayetteville City Council unanimously approved a request to rezone four properties along with a Special Use Permit to allow for construction of the Unhoused Support Center on the selected site.
In May 2024, the County brought on project architect LS3P, which is currently working with the County officials and community stakeholders to solicit input to help develop a building program and the conceptual design for the facility. The County anticipates hiring a construction manager for the project in October and beginning construction on the Unhoused Support Center in early 2025.
Funding for the project includes a $1 million State Capital Infrastructure Funds (SCIF) grant from the General Assembly, which was awarded in 2022.