Wake at Home marks first encampment closure, connects more than 30 residents to housing

"No one has ever followed through in finding me housing. I can't believe this is happening," said a Wake County resident.

Wake at Home has reached its first major milestone after 33 people living at a local encampment accepted offers of housing and support. The encampment officially closed on Wednesday, Aug. 26, after eight weeks of intensive outreach and housing coordination.

Most residents have already moved into their own units while a few others are in temporary placements as teams work through the final steps of securing permanent housing. All residents housed from encampments through Wake at Home receive a year-long rental subsidy and case management services to help them stabilize and remain housed.

“We made a commitment to Wake County that when we address an encampment, we would do so with real solutions,” said Vickie Adamson with the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “Every person at this site who was offered housing accepted it. That is evidence of what is possible when we meet people where they are and keep working with them.”

This work is the early result of a coordinated effort launched in July by the Wake County Continuum of Care and its partners to help people living outdoors move into housing and build a stronger community response to homelessness.

The effort also responds to concerns raised by community members about safety and sanitation. With the closure complete, Raleigh Parks will restore the area for its intended public use, while partners will continue monitoring the site to help prevent the conditions that led to the encampment from returning.

Resident anecdotes and experiences

Among the first households to move in was a couple who were expecting a new baby. The following weekend after they were housed, they welcomed their baby safely in the hospital and were able to return to their new home rather than the encampment during an extreme heat wave.

Other residents shared their excitement about having a place of their own.

“I just needed to see my very own kitchen. Can't wait to cook a home-cooked meal,” one resident said. Another resident told the team, “You all kept coming back and did not forget me.”

The partners behind the work

Getting dozens of people from an encampment into housing required more than finding available units. It required dedicated housing resources and daily coordination among government agencies, nonprofit organizations and community partners. Teams worked together to navigate housing, services, transportation, move-ins, furnishings and other needs.

Wake at Home’s partners on this site include:

The work is just getting started. Wake at Home's first phase aims to connect 400 people living in encampments to housing and supportive services as well as rapidly exit about 1,000 people from shelter over the next 18 months.

This effort builds on the first success and programs like Bridge 2 Home and the City of Raleigh's Unsheltered Homelessness Response Pilot, which connect households to housing, health care, employment opportunities and other services that support long-term stability.

About Wake at Home

Launched in July 2026, Wake at Home is led by the Wake County Continuum of Care and its governance board in partnership with local governments, housing and health care organizations, nonprofit providers and community stakeholders across Wake County.

The initiative is funded through a combination of public and private investments, with its first phase of funding modeled through December 2027. The work comes as Wake County continues to consider additional investments in housing and homelessness and the Continuum of Care Board refines its fundraising strategy. A housing bond is among the items Raleigh voters will consider on the November 2026 ballot.

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