Mayor Mobolade addresses homelessness, city issues

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Mayor Yemi Mobolade hosted his July brief about his long-term plans on infrastructure, park, and public safety on Tuesday, July 23.

During the press brief, Mayor Mobolade listed homelessness being the number one issue he and city officials are working to address.

“We have made a lot of progress over the last year but there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Mobolade.

Mayor Mobolade announced the city is currently working on a new long-term plan that outlines key strategies to address critical concerns of homelessness in the city with input from nonprofit partners and those who worked directly with the unhoused.

The new plan will focus on:

1. Increase street outreach and availability of need-based shelter options.
2. Enforce and protect the people, property, and environment.
3. Continue to provide employment opportunities for the unhoused.
4. Prioritize homeless-preventative efforts such as mental health.
5. Increase number of very-low income housing units.
6. Continue to provide transparent, proactive, and accessible information to the public.

In the next couple of weeks, Mayor Mobolade said city officials will seek input from the community and businesses about the plan.

“This plan will likely see some changes over the next coming weeks,” said Mayor Mobolade. “But is important that we are reviewing our current policies to assess what is working, what is not working where we should invest, and sometimes where we shouldn’t invest our limited resources.”

Mayor Mobolade also said the city continues working to improve infrastructure through the 2-C Road Improvement Program. Mayor Mobolade told the community that although construction in major streetways is a “love-hate relationship,” the improvements are necessary as the city grows.

Mobolade said they will try to minimize the impact of construction on drivers.

In 2024, the 2-C program has repaved 12 lane miles, installed 118 new pedestrian ramps, and replaced 303,125 square feet of sidewalk.

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