ASHEVILLE, N.C. — As winter settles in the mountains, the homeless population in Asheville is battling the cold.
What You Need To Know
- GG has been homeless off and on for most of her adult life
- She always dreamed of living in the mountains
- With high rent prices, her income makes it difficult to find permanent housing
For residents like GG, it’s always about finding the next place to go. She knows she has to keep moving to avoid the cold.
After years of working construction, she’s on disability. That doesn’t give her enough each month, however, to rent a spot in the mountain city, so she spends her time on the streets.
While there are shelters in Asheville, GG says staying in them isn’t good for her mental health. But she hopes one day there will be more affordable options, so that she and her friends don’t have to call the streets home.
“I have applications in housing, I have applications in helpme, I have applications in transitional housing, I have all kinds of applications in,” GG said. “But I’m still waiting.”
In the meantime, GG says she utilizes programs such as AHope, Midnight Ministries and Beloved Asheville, who work with the homeless to get them what they need.