Latest Update

The most recent newsletter was sent on November 15, 2024. View it here. To receive future updates, sign up using the contact form on the right side of the page. Updates will continue to be sent quarterly. 

See additional updates including monthly reports provided to the Downtown Commission at www.ashevillenc.gov/downtown. 

We are all in this together. Please visit the above “Take Action” tab to view previous updates and see how you can contribute to a safe and welcoming downtown.

What We're Doing

The City of Asheville’s Downtown Safety Initiative to develop a sustainable approach to addressing community safety and cleanliness issues transitioned from a pilot initiative to an ongoing effort in July 2023. During the initial pilot period in May and June, City staff continued standard operations while also tracking and testing actions that had potential to improve safety and cleanliness downtown. You can read more about the initiative on the "Summer 2023 Pilot Program" tab at the top of this page.

Ongoing efforts to continue and enhance services that support a safe, clean and welcoming downtown include the following:

Public Safety and Community Support 

• APD continues to prioritize downtown coverage. The department is regularly supplementing downtown patrols and prioritizing coverage based on crime data. Regularly updated crime data is available here. 

• APD continues to develop and deploy strategies to increase coverage and presence downtown, as well as recruit new officers.

• The Parks Department provides 7-day/week security coverage, with downtown parks being the top focus. 

• The City’s Community Responder Program is continuing long-term as an additional public safety presence and community resource. Teams of 2-3 firefighters are engaging proactively with people visibly in crisis or experiencing homelessness 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. More information is viewable on this dashboard. 

• The City contracts directly with Homeward Bound for street outreach. The outreach team engages with individuals experiencing homelessness and stands available to assist businesses or other community members to troubleshoot or mediate concerns. 

• The Transportation Department launched contracted security coverage in City parking garages and parking lots in early 2024.

• The City continues to improve systems of reporting and tracking repairs needs for downtown street lighting.  More information is viewable on this dashboard.

• The City is also increasing proactive enforcement of nuisance issues within downtown through the Development Services Department’s Compliance Division. This team is positioned to address issues including noise, construction-related closures/concerns, illegal vending and other code violations. 

Cleanliness

• The City prioritizes downtown cleanliness to promote an attractive and safe urban environment. City crews provide 7-day/week trash and recycling collection. There are 9 full time Public Works employees devoted to downtown cleanliness. Additional contracted services are utilized for litter pick up, vegetation control, pressure washing, biohazard cleaning and improved response to litter hot spots on an as-needed basis. 

• To further support public health and cleanliness conditions, the City is completed the installation of a downtown restroom facility in November 2024. The facility is open to the public 24/7. 

Addressing Homelessness

• Responding to unsheltered homelessness is a high priority for the City

• The City has a Homeless Strategy Division which is leading efforts to work with the community to implement recommendations from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). One of the key recommendations was to transition to a Continuum of Care model for overseeing the area's homeless services. Find out more about the Continuum of Care (CoC) here. 

• The City works closely with service providers to develop and fund new shelter and housing capacity through participation in the Continuum of Care. 

• Learn more about the City's efforts to address homelessness here. 

Our Impact

City staff is currently working on ways to measure the ongoing impacts our efforts are having on a clean and safe downtown. Look for more information in the coming months.