© 2023 Blue Ridge Public Radio
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Secret Sauce' Expired: Delay in Ramada Inn Conversion for Unhoused

'Secret Sauce' Expired: Delay in Ramada Inn Conversion for Unhoused

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 people.

Yet 22 months after council voted to relinquish the property to the private developer, no new construction has occurred. What are the reasons for the delay? For a multi-part investigative series, BPR’s Laura Hackett examines hundreds of court records and other documents, revealing unpaid city permitting fees, lawsuits against the California organizations, and more.