“How could things have gotten this bad without intervention? How quickly will this situation of fear and crime be turned around?”
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“How could things have gotten this bad without intervention? How quickly will this situation of fear and crime be turned around?”
Violent and disturbing incidents downtown are leaving workers frustrated and frightened. One business owner at an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce listening session asked the assembled crowd, “How many people have to get assaulted?”
Evictions in Asheville have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and many evictions begin when a tenant has raised concerns about housing conditions, says David Bartholomew, the nonprofit’s homelessness prevention services director.
Tom Tesser was one of several commenters from the Asheville Coalition for Public Safety, a recently formed advocacy group that looks to build support for the APD. Five of the nine speakers on budget matters sought larger salaries for police officers and shared their personal experiences of downtown crime and safety issues.
“What we can’t do is continue pretending that headlines, hand-wringing, a lack of diverse thinking, anger, studies, politicians, enabling and spending other people’s money will create the solutions.”
“The people we exclude from public spaces, and the things we refer to as worthless, say a lot about what we value as a community.”
Local advocates say they are skeptical that yet another study will make a difference.
Much of the presentation focused on the shortcomings of how local governments and service providers currently collaborate to address homelessness.
Although Asheville has numerous shelters for the homeless population, its organizers say this particular shelter fills gaps in the city’s current system. “The focus is on intact families,” explains shelter worker Gene Ettison.
Xpress asked activists, law enforcement leaders, government officials and others to weigh in on how local crime and related issues shaped the past year.
What does quality of life mean in Western North Carolina? For the 2022 Year In Review, Xpress asked community members to share their thoughts.
Readers had a lot to say in 2022 about a host of local issues — from our region’s growth and development to the environment, homelessness and more.
“Today, Asheville’s a tourist destination fueled by wealth-take-all capitalism beset with growing urban issues such as parking, pollution, land use, development, affordable housing, crime and allocation of tax revenues. Yet are all these intractable problems with only temporary solutions? Not really.”
“I’ve also noticed the same complaints year in and year out — high cost of living, low-paying jobs, lack of good jobs, homelessness, etc. And yet, for some reason I can’t begin to fathom, the same people and the same party keep getting reelected.”
If next week’s forecast is correct, overnight temperatures in Asheville will dip below freezing several times, potentially exposing those living without shelter to harsh conditions. Fittingly, members of Asheville City Council will hear an update on the city’s Code Purple program during their meeting of Tuesday, Nov. 15.
“Our leaders are allowing dubious choices like spending $1.3 million on vague ads and luxury VIP suites in New York City, while Asheville’s homeless situation is ever more disturbing.”
On any day of the week, first responders in Buncombe County might be dispatched to this common scenario: A business owner or a bystander sees a woman on the sidewalk who is agitated, yelling, screaming, and pacing back and forth. Concerned, a bystander calls 911 to get this person help; it’s unclear whether she’s injured, […]
Code Purple will have nearly 100 beds available for emergency overnight shelter for Asheville’s unhoused population when the temperature is freezing or below. The program will also operate for two additional months in the winter and spring of 2022-23.
While current city ordinances place some restrictions on panhandling, in most instances it is a legal means of making money. Bill Davis, spokesperson for Asheville Police Department, says police had received 95 calls for panhandling this year as of Aug. 17, the majority of which were requests for wellness checks out of concern for those in need.
“There should be zero homeless children because they do not have a choice.”
“If you can, consider creating a studio apartment. If you can only spare $10 dollars a month, donate to Habitat, Homeward Bound, Helpmate or another charity. One person can make a difference.”