The Homeless Lose Again
For the past 17 years, the 12-acre, 23,850 square feet Duke Power headquarters at 2700 Homestead, now owned by UNC, was under-used as storage and headquarters for campus police. Then last summer, Orange County began negotiating a lease for its use.
The county needs a site in Chapel Hill for a day center to support our homeless population, a use supported by the university due to (unwarranted) concern with student safety on Franklin Street.
The Homestead site is an ideal match for the county needs, located across the road from the Health Department and the Seymour Center, the county Department of Social Services, the Aquatic Center, and both IFC shelters. And it’s on the busline and the future BRT line.
The building is large enough to also provide office space for the housing department which has outgrown its current location in the Southern Human Services Center with plenty of room left over for:
Temporary space for Carrboro’s Public Works department that was displaced after Chantal.
Affordable warehouse space for our local food security non-profits.
Lease agreement negotiations moved along slowly between September 2025 and spring of 2026 until it was finally placed on the consent agenda for the May 12 UNC Board of Trustee (BOT) meeting. And then someone pulled it off the agenda prior to the meeting. Someone associated with the BOT believes the property needs to be included in the planning discussions for Carolina North.
Where does this leave Orange County?
Without a site for cold weather cots this winter and very little time to make alternative arrangements.
Without a site for our working poor to find showers and safe places to spend their summer days out of the heat.
Where does it leave Carrboro?
Without a site for their Public Works operations until they can build a new facility outside of the Morgan Creek floodway.
With very little time to make alternative arrangements before they must adopt next year’s budget.
What can the community do?
Share your thoughts on this decision with the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the local media. The BOT functions separately from UNC Administration. Of the 15 BOT members, three live in Chapel Hill. One of those three local residents is the brand new student body president. The BOT does have a staff secretary with an office on campus. To learn more about the BOT members, see their short bios at https://bot.unc.edu/.
According to recent news reports, a design plan for the Carolina North development is 12 to 14 months out. Initial focus will be on student and workforce housing, academic and retail buildings, and yet another hotel. It’s difficult to imagine that the 12-acre site on Homestead Road will factor into those plans.