Asheville City Council and staff embrace a proactive approach to support a vibrant and welcoming downtown for residents, businesses, and visitors. By exploring, testing, and refining strategies for ongoing and improved service delivery, we are working across departments and the community to ensure that downtown Asheville reflects the very best of our city.
Public Safety and Community Support
- The Parks and Recreation Department provides 7-day/week security coverage, with downtown parks being the top focus.
- The City’s Community Responder Teams, made up of 2-3 firefighters per team, 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
- 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.
Addressing Homelessness
- The City has a Homeless Strategy Division which is leading efforts to work with the community to implement recent recommendations from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH).
- The City works closely with service providers to develop and fund new shelter and housing capacity.
- Learn more about the City’s efforts to address homelessness here.