Residents and business owners say the homeless problem is growing in downtown

Residents and business owners agree that the chronically homeless problem has gotten worse and that they fear for their safety.

“It’s just aggressive. It’s dangerous. It’s dirty,” said one business owner. “The sanitary aspect of it is just awful.”

LDDA put cameras up in downtown but has failed to do anything.

“I didn’t realize how aggressively bad the problem was out here,” business owner said. “All of the other local restaurant owners are telling me how bad it is here, but you truly don’t understand until you’re up in it.”

Police calls in the downtown neighborhood have grown steadily.

 “We see it every day, individuals living on the streets or in temporary hotel hosing, exhibiting behaviors that reflect deep unmet needs,” the business owner said.

Why didn’t we have the new Clean and Safe program established downtown?  

A “Clean and Safe” program is a community initiative, often found in urban areas, focused on improving the cleanliness and safety of public spaces. These programs typically involve a combination of strategies such as increased sanitation efforts, enhanced security measures, and community engagement to create a more pleasant and secure environment for residents, businesses, and visitors. 

“It’s something that other cities have done with a lot of success,” the business owner said. “It really just puts an extra focus on making sure that we have the public safety support that’s needed and also that we spruce things up.”