On the Ground in Rural North Carolina

Local service providers throughout rural areas of North Carolina are working hard to ensure that folks experiencing homelessness are supported during the COVID-19 pandemic and the statewide stay-at-home order. In addition to living in one of these rural counties, I also serve on the Steering Committee for the North Carolina Balance of State. During our monthly meeting in April, providers from every region of the state gave updates on what they are seeing on the ground in their area and what needs they have identified in the early weeks of the pandemic. 

The three common concerns discussed by multiple regions included:

• Lack of access to showers and hand-washing stations for their clients. Many locations that would normally offer these services during the day have been shut down. 

• If the region has shelters, they are either full or not accepting new clients during this time. And although motels/hotels are largely vacant, most providers are not having success convincing owners to open up rooms for those in need. 

• Food banks are being accessed by a much larger share of the population due to the broader economic instability with the pandemic, which means some providers are struggling to find options for their clients to access food. 

All of these concerns directly affect youth experiencing homelessness here in rural North Carolina and across the country. We will be hosting a webinar dedicated to supporting youth in rural communities as part of our weekly COVID-19 webinar series to address these issues on Wednesday, May 6th. Be sure to join us to hear from experts and service providers on how to best support youth in rural communities.