The City of Fayetteville is investing $1,020,471 in resident-centered programs that address everyday barriers to stability and opportunity. The 2026-2027 awards will help residents prepare for employment, access food and health care, remain safely housed, connect to treatment and supportive services, participate in youth mentoring and complete critical home repairs.

This investment advances the Economic and Community Development Department’s mission to strengthen neighborhoods, support economic growth and improve quality of life for all residents. It also aligns with City Council priorities related to community safety, economic growth, housing and neighborhood revitalization and resident connectivity.

The following programs received funding for the 2026-2027 program year:

Workforce Development — $55,000

•  City of Fayetteville Workforce Readiness Program — $30,000
•  Provides eligible participants with up to $500 toward job skills training offered through Fayetteville Technical Community College.
• FTCC Foundation — $10,000
•  Supports the Trojan Transportation Assistance Program, which provides bus passes to eligible students who need reliable transportation to attend classes, workforce training, clinicals and access essential campus services.
• Fayetteville Urban Ministry — $15,000
•  Supports the Adult Literacy and Education Center Essentials Program, helping adults strengthen literacy, earn credentials, improve English proficiency and develop employment skills.

Basic Critical Needs and Opioid-Related Services — $249,471

•  Better Health of Cumberland County — $20,000
•  Helps uninsured and underinsured residents access prescribed medications, dental extractions, medical equipment, transportation to medical appointments and vision assistance.
• Action Pathways Second Harvest Food Bank — $20,471
•  Supports the Harvest of Hope Senior Program, which provides nutritious foods tailored to dietary needs commonly found among older adults.
• North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition — $106,000
•  Supports the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, providing pre-arrest diversion, harm reduction, rapid housing assistance and wraparound services.
• Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes — $103,000
•  Provides recovery support, housing and connections to employment for individuals affected by opioid use disorder.

Homelessness Prevention and Intervention — $230,000

• Combined Unified Services — $20,000
•  Provides essential resources and support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or financial hardship through Project E.N.S.U.R.E.
• Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes — $60,000
•  Supports street outreach and substance use disorder case management for unsheltered individuals, including veterans and other special populations.
•  Connections of Cumberland County — $30,000
•  Provides case management, supportive services and housing assistance to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Cumberland HealthNET — $40,000
•  Supports street outreach connecting people living in places not intended for habitation with the Coordinated Entry System and other available services.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina — $30,000
•  Provides legal assistance to help low-income tenants avoid eviction, address unsafe housing conditions and preserve housing subsidies.
• Fayetteville Urban Ministry — $50,000
•  Provides financial assistance and supportive services to help prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless.

Youth Mentoring and Development — $36,000

• Communities In Schools — $20,000
• Provides coordinated academic and social support to K-12 students and families in schools along the Murchison Road corridor.
• R.O.O.T.S. Mentoring — $16,000
•  Supports mentoring, communication skills, personal development and leadership opportunities for youth ages 5-18, their families and college-aged mentors.

Emergency Home Repair Program — $300,000

• Fayetteville Urban Ministry — $300,000
•  Supports the Nehemiah Project, which provides critical roof, plumbing, electrical and other emergency repairs for low-income homeowners, helping residents—particularly older adults—remain safely and securely in their homes.

Community Housing Development Organization Set Aside — $150,000

• Community Housing Development Organization — $150,000
•  Reserves a portion of HOME funds for qualified Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) to develop affordable housing and increase housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents.

Funding decisions are shaped by resident input, community partners, the Fayetteville Redevelopment Commission, needs identified in the City’s five-year Consolidated Plan and priorities established by City Council. All funded services are offered at no cost to eligible participants.

“These awards reflect how we approach community development in Fayetteville—by investing public resources where they can produce the greatest community impact and working with trusted organizations that understand our residents and neighborhoods,” Economic and Community Development Director Chris Cauley said in a press release.

A critical home repair can help an older adult remain safely at home. Transportation and literacy assistance can help a student or worker reach the next opportunity. Housing and recovery services can prevent a personal crisis from becoming homelessness. Youth mentoring can strengthen confidence, connection and leadership.

By focusing public resources on outcomes residents can experience in their daily lives, the City is strengthening households, neighborhoods and Fayetteville’s broader economy.

“Together, we can meet people where they are and turn these investments into practical, measurable results—helping residents prepare for employment, remain safely housed, enter recovery and build greater stability and opportunity for themselves and their families,” Cauley said.

Taken together, these investments demonstrate community development in action: helping residents overcome immediate challenges while creating longer-term pathways to safety, stability and economic mobility.

Funding for the programs is provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Opioid Settlement Fund and other federal and state funding sources.

The City’s Nonprofit Grant Program application period is open annually from November through January. Nonprofit organizations and residents interested in Economic and Community Development programs and resources may visit FayettevilleNC.gov/ECD.