Buncombe County

UNC Health acquired 20 acres near Asheville for $22.3 million to build a 92-bed hospital, submitting a $747 million proposal to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Competing applications from Mission Health, Novant Health, and AdventHealth also aim to address the region's need for 92 acute care beds by 2026.

A North Carolina bill to modify the list of counties under a property tax revaluation freeze (Senate Bill 474) stalled in the Senate due to constitutional concerns, despite Governor Josh Stein's support. The bill aims to remove Buncombe, Harnett, and Scotland counties from the freeze while adding Chowan and Pamlico, but faced opposition from Republican Sen. Steve Jarvis, who cited constitutional issues with a section of the bill.

Residents of Western North Carolina mountain communities are preparing for hurricane season amid lingering trauma from Hurricane Helene, which killed over 100 people and destroyed homes two years ago. Survivors like Jackie Fenstermacher and her sister Cynthia Dunn describe ongoing struggles with temporary housing and anxiety about future storms. Buncombe County has approved funding to build a standalone emergency operations center in response to the disaster.

North Carolina experienced a 33% increase in homelessness in 2024-25, the largest percentage rise in the U.S., driven largely by Hurricane Helene, which displaced nearly 4,000 people in western North Carolina. The 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report attributes the surge to infrastructure loss and reduced affordable housing, with challenges persisting in rural and urban areas.