BRIEFS: N.C. DEQ announces $1.2M for flood resilience projects in Swannanoa and Rosman

Down Ballot Staff Reports

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint has awarded more than $1.2 million for two flood resilience projects in Swannanoa and Rosman.  

The projects will create nearly 9 million gallons (or 27 acre-feet, the amount of water that would cover 27 acres at a depth of one foot) of flood water storage, restore 3,000 feet of tributary streams and three acres of wetlands, stabilize stream banks, and install natural stormwater infrastructure. 

“Rebuilding more resiliently in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene continues to be an urgent priority,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “These projects will make downstream communities less vulnerable to damage during future floods.” 

The Flood Resiliency Blueprint previously funded more than $8.8 million for 16 projects dedicated to long-term flood resilience in the French Broad River Basin. The two projects announced today are located in communities that have not yet received Blueprint funding, expanding the impact of the program across the French Broad River Basin. Overall, the Blueprint has now funded 84 projects in six river basins totaling more than $43 million, including the projects announced today.   

In Swannanoa, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint is awarding $822,780 to RiverLink, a regional nonprofit, to lead a flood resilience project on a 4.45-acre parcel along the Swannanoa River that was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. The project will slow flood waters and create 1.6 million gallons (five acre-feet) of flood storage to reduce flood risk along Old Highway 70 and in downstream areas. The project will use natural stormwater infrastructure like plants to capture and filter polluted runoff while stabilizing a small tributary stream of the Swannanoa River. 

The project will also provide economic, recreational and educational benefits to Swannanoa, which experienced some of the most destructive flooding from Hurricane Helene. The project site was identified as an opportunity for restoration and increased community resilience during field investigations for the 2025 Middle Swannanoa River Damage Assessment. 

In Rosman, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint is awarding $450,000 to Conserving Carolina, a nonprofit land trust, to lead a flood resilience project on 30 acres of former agricultural fields near the headwaters of the French Broad River. The project will slow flood waters, restore floodplains and create 7.1 million gallons (22 acre-feet) of floodplain storage along the French Broad River. This project will reduce flood risk and protect the downstream Rosman Community Park, wastewater treatment plant, and other infrastructure and properties. In addition, this project will restore 3,000 feet of tributary streams and three acres of wetlands, which will enhance water quality and ecosystem functions in the French Broad River. The site was identified as a high priority for floodplain and wetland restoration in the 2023 Upper French Broad River Basin Restoration Plan. 

To reduce regional flood risk, these projects will construct “flood benches,” which slow and spread out flood waters. This approach reduces the volume and velocity of flood waters in the main river channel, thus decreasing the potential impacts of flood events.  

“We’re excited to partner on these much-needed projects, which will complement ongoing recovery efforts, build resilience and help reduce the costs and disruptions caused by future floods,” said Flood Resiliency Blueprint Program Manager Stuart Brown. 

Mecklenburg County's point-in-time count found 2,018 experiencing homelessness

On Jan. 21, 2026, there were a total of 2,018 people experiencing homelessness across sheltered and unsheltered locations in Mecklenburg County.

Those are the findings of the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, when nearly 200 volunteers, outreach workers, providers, public sector partners, and others spread across the Mecklenburg County during that day and night to ensure unhoused residents were counted, acknowledged and heard. The results demonstrate that the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the community has increased notably, fueling a greater need for services while resources continue to shrink. 

Unsheltered Homelessness 

The unsheltered count during the Point-in-Time Count focuses on people living in locations not intended for human habitation such as streets, cars, parks, and encampments. Volunteers and police officers canvassed Mecklenburg County to locate, identify, and engage individuals who were living unsheltered, and gather U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-required demographic information. 

The survey revealed 499 people were experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the night of the Point-in-Time Count, an increase of about 12%. Of the 499 people, 125 were newly identified this year. Nearly all were single adults, 29 were unaccompanied youth, and 25 were veterans. 

Sheltered Homelessness 

Thirty-two publicly and privately operated emergency shelter, transitional housing, and safe haven programs from 15 agencies participated in the Point-in-Time Count. The survey revealed 1,519 people were experiencing sheltered homelessness, about 8% fewer people than last year. This decrease is largely due to the unavailability of emergency shelter beds. Since last year, two small emergency shelter programs closed, and one larger program decreased its capacity due to funding constraints. Of the people identified in the sheltered homeless census, 257 people were children under the age of 18.  

More details about the 2026 findings are available at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing and Homelessness Dashboard. 

The Point-in-Time Count, coordinated nationally by the HUD, is conducted each year across the United States to gather data on homelessness. It takes place on a single night in January each year and provides a snapshot of homelessness. The key objectives of the PIT Count are to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness and to understand their demographic characteristics and living situations.