More than 1 in 4 people who left North Carolina prisons in 2024 were released to homelessness, according to a reentry housing assessment.

The assessment identified someone as homeless if they had no verified home plan, self-reported as homeless, provided an intersection address or went to a shelter or temporary housing placement.

Of the nearly 20,000 people who exited one of the state’s prisons last year, 5,610 people — or 28 percent — were identified as homeless.

Why it matters: Unstable housing increases the risk of recidivism. It also makes it harder for former prisoners to engage with supervision, treatment and employment.

As part of North Carolina’s Reentry 2030 goals, state leaders are looking to reduce the number of prisoners released to homelessness by 10% each year — one of th

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