Two California organizations came to Asheville in late 2021, eager to purchase and convert the former Ramada Inn in East Asheville into permanent supportive housing for unhoused people. They pledged to use their “secret sauce” solution to address Asheville's longstanding challenges with how to shelter some of the city's 500 unhoused individuals.
BPR's Laura Hackett and Laura Lee examined hundreds of court records and interviewed dozens of sources. The reporting revealed unpaid city permitting fees, lawsuits against the California organizations, a foreclosure on the property and more.
In January 2024, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said the city would not proceed with the partners, ending a two-year delay on the project but leaving lingering questions about the future of the site. Learn more in the investigative series below.
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