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Code Purple, a coordinated effort among Buncombe County and Asheville shelters to alert and provide emergency overflow shelters to unhoused individuals during cold weather, is beginning on October 15 for the winter season.
Code Purple is enacted by the Homeless Coalition during forecasts of temperatures of 32 degrees or below or 33-40 degrees with precipitation.
During the alert, participating shelters will provide more beds with fewer requirements than their typical programming. Code Purple sites will also work with participants to refer them to ongoing shelter and housing options.
Important details for this winter’s Code Purple ending on April 30, 2024:
- Entry hours are 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) and 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Salvation Army. After-hour entries can be facilitated by emergency responders. Exit hour is 7:30 a.m. unless cold weather continues.
- Homeless Coalition leaders will call Code Purple based on the forecast on weather.gov 48 hours in advance of the Code Purple event and will collaborate with shelter providers to make determinations when the forecast is 33-40 with precipitation.
- When called, the Homeless Coalition will email its distribution list. Based on those email notifications, the City and County will publicize (e.g., website, HCCA marquee, and County’s text alert system). To be added to the Homeless Coalition distribution list, email bcnc.homeless.coalition@gmail.com.
Locations:
- ABCCM’s Veterans Restoration Quarters - 1329 Tunnel Road: 50+ beds
- ABCCM’s Transformation Village - 30 Olin Heaven Way: 25+ beds
- Salvation Army - 204 Haywood Street: 16 beds
Transit:
ART will provide free transit; Mission will provide taxi vouchers for people leaving the hospital if needed; Community Paramedics and Community Responders will transport after hours or if other options aren’t accessible to the individual; and ABCCM will provide a shuttle service from its Crisis Ministry downtown and from the bus stop near Transformation Village.
To learn more about Code Purple, visit this website and to learn more about Buncombe County’s Homelessness Resources, visit this website.