Housing Programs
As lead agency for the Northwest Continuum of Care, Hospitality House is the point of entry for homeless services for seven rural North Carolina mountain counties (Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Alleghany, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey). Hospitality House provides Emergency Shelter Services, Night by Night Shelter, Family Housing, Domestic Violence & Human Trafficking Housing Program, Permanent Supportive Housing Program, Scattered Site Housing Program, Homeless Prevention and Diversion Program and Rapid Rehousing Program.
Emergency Housing is comprised of two dorms for men and two dorms for women that house a total of 24 residents with a potential for eight overflow beds. The dedicated service coordinator counsels each client, evaluating their homeless situation, guiding them through the steps to begin rebuilding their lives while providing the structure of accountability they need to be successful. To stay in the Emergency Housing one must provide verification of homelessness.
The only true "shelter" program that we operate, is available 365 days a year. Each night we convert our Dining Room into sleeping quarters. In 2020, in order to safely shelter individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, we converted our Conference Room to a ten-person dormitory, our Computer Lab and Playroom to six-person sleeping quarters, and our Medical and Intake Offices each into four-person rooms.
Men, women, and children seeking shelter must arrive prior to 5:30 pm each day to complete an intake. We provide a safe, warm environment for anyone experiencing homelessness, living in a tent, car, or uninhabitable structure. One locker per person is issued upon check-in. Each evening at 9:00 pm cots are distributed and they are put away the next morning beginning at 6:00 a.m.
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NOTE: Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, our capacity has changed. Please call (828) 264-1237 to check availability or to be put on the waiting list.
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For those in the community who are unable or choose not to stay at Hospitality House, we offer three daily meals, showers and laundry facilities to anyone who needs them.
Family Housing
We have multiple efficiency room family quarters that allows us to keep the family unit intact, regardless of economic circumstances. The service coordinators guide residents along the path to employment, sustainable housing and goal-setting through motivation, accountability and the building of life skills.
The need for family housing is great as HUD's 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report identified our seven-county region as having the 3rd highest rate of unsheltered homeless families in rural America.
Because of the increased need for families and children we have implemented an after-school program, visual arts program, reading program, birthday parties and movie nights.
Domestic Violence Transitional Housing Program
This program provides individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, sexual trafficking, sexual assault, date rape or stalking, with transitional housing, rapid rehousing and trauma informed services in a safe, supportive environment. Transitional residents live in facility based small dormitories or family units and may participate in an individualized program of services while enrolled in short- or long-term transitional housing, or rapid rehousing rental assistance or a combination of the two approaches for up to 24 months.
The Combined Component program is designed to support those persons affected by domestic violence, sexual trafficking, sexual assault, date rape or stalking, achieve safety, independent permanent housing, and economic self-sufficiency.
Permanent Supportive Housing Program
Self-reliance is a life goal, benchmark and measure of success for anyone transitioning out of homelessness. The Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program includes nine (9) residences at the Hospitality House primary facility in Boone, and eight (8) unit Rock Haven Independent Living Facility in Watauga and a seven (7) unit Wintergreen Independent Living Facility in Wilkes. This program provides the structure and sense of community while the residents contribute to the rent and sustainability of the facilities. The majority of residents identify as permanently disabled and having the ability to live independently in and of itself is a victory.
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Our Permanent Supportive Housing projects provide safe, stable homes and long-term rental assistance, paired with intensive case management services, to highly vulnerable literally homeless individuals and families with complex issues who are otherwise at risk of serious health and safety consequences.
This best practice model seeks to provide a stable housing option and the necessary supportive services for individuals and families who may not succeed in other permanent housing settings and PSH has no term limits or service participation requirements.
Permanent supportive housing is designed specifically for persons with disabilities and high service needs, including severe mental health, physical health, HIV/AIDS, and/or substance use disorders, and targets individuals and families meeting HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness. All Hospitality House PSH projects participate in the NWCoC Coordinated Entry and Assessment system, including the local prioritization of individuals for housing.
Staff conduct assessments using a standardized assessment tool which prioritize individuals and families experiencing homelessness based on an acuity score that indicates the type of housing intervention best suited to meet their ongoing needs and is consistent with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Order of Priority in housing placement.
Permanent supportive housing programs are intended to serve individuals and families with a disability, the longest length of time homeless and/or the highest service needs.
Scattered Site Housing
Scattered Site Housing, a component of the Permanent Supportive Housing Program, consists of fourteen (14) leased properties (apartments, homes and duplexes) in Watauga and Wilkes counties providing safe, stable homes and long-term rental assistance, paired with intensive case management services, to highly vulnerable literally homeless individuals and families with complex issues who are otherwise at risk of serious health and safety consequences.
We are seeking to further expand this program in Wilkes and into Ashe counties.
Homeless Prevention and Diversion Program
This program provides individuals that are at least eighteen years old and families at risk or at imminent risk of homelessness with diversion assistance, assessments, targeted housing financial assistance, and supportive services to prevent homelessness. Participating income eligible households maintain their existing housing in any of the seven service counties of Northwest North Carolina and may participate in an individualized program of services for short- or medium-term financial assistance stabilize their housing crisis and achieve permanent housing and economic self-sufficiency.
Rapid Rehousing Program
Rapid Re-housing Program provides literally homeless individuals over 18 years of age and families - or persons fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, date rape, human trafficking or stalking - with rental subsidy and supportive services. Residents live in their own apartment units in any of the seven service counties of Northwest North Carolina and may participate in an individualized program of services for short- or long-term assistance for up to 24 months.
Individuals and families receive case management and an individualized case plan for support and/or a referral for: life-skills development, job training and placement, credit/budget counseling, educational assistance, vocational resources, mental health or substance use counseling.
The ultimate goal is to support individuals and families to achieve independent permanent housing and economic self-sufficiency. Households enrolled in the program may build strengths in coping, social, and independent living skills; communication; anger management; educational goals; and personal safety, all developed to assist a household with maintaining independent housing.
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Rapid Re-housing plays a key role in ending homelessness by providing short or long-term rental assistance to those households that may not be eligible for Permanent Supportive Housing. To do so effectively and efficiently, the program coordinates with the broader homeless and mainstream benefits system and has a commitment to a Housing First approach.
