U.S. Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) and local officials at Second Street Place, Raleigh, March 13, 2026. (Photo: Ahmed Jallow/NC Newsline)
Congresswoman Deborah Ross this week announced $850,000 in federal funding to renovate Second Street Place, a Wake County shelter serving people experiencing homelessness.
The shelter is operated by The Bryant Center. The funding will support accessibility upgrades, showers and other improvements to the facility, part of $13 million Ross secured for 15 projects across Wake County.
Second Street Place is Wake County’s first county-operated low-barrier shelter, allowing people to enter without requirements such as sobriety or background checks. The 98-bed site connects guests with case management and services aimed at helping them move toward permanent housing.
“These funds help transform a building into something more important — a place of stability, a space that is safe and a place that provides opportunity,” said Vance Haywood, executive director of the Bryant Center.
Ross said the funding is part of a broader response to rising housing costs and homelessness.
Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show homelessness increasing in many communities nationwide. Wake County has seen a similar rise. The county’s most recent point-in-time count identified about 1,258 people experiencing homelessness, roughly 27% more than the previous year.
“As costs continue to rise, more and more Americans are feeling squeezed and pushed to their limits,” Ross said.
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SUPPORTLocal officials said the shelter reflects a broader effort to address homelessness through partnerships between city, county and nonprofit groups. Raleigh leaders also pointed to plans to pursue a housing bond this fall aimed at expanding affordable housing.
“This problem of homelessness is not something unique to just the city of Raleigh. It’s a nationwide crisis,” said Stormie Forte, Raleigh’s mayor pro tem.
Don Mial, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said the county’s population and growth put pressure on housing and services: “Our county is at 1.2 million people. We’ve got six people moving in every day, and 25 kids being born every day. This isn’t just a city of Raleigh concern — we work with 11 other municipalities, and we appreciate Congresswoman Ross for helping bring this forward.”
Guests at Second Street Place described the daily struggles of living without stable housing, from long bus rides to accessing basic necessities.
Walter Slater, who has lived in Wake County for about a year, spoke about the lack of services and the prevalence of mental illness among people living on the streets. “There’s a lot of mental illness out here,” Slater said. “It really is, and it’s sad.”
Second Street Place will close during renovations that will add ADA-accessible bathrooms and showers, secure storage for personal belongings, and space for counseling and case management. Organizers say the upgrades are intended to improve the shelter’s ability to connect guests with housing, employment, and behavioral health services.
Residents will temporarily move to another facility while work is completed. The shelter is expected to reopen in November.
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