Asheville to dismantle homeless camps, despite CDC recommendations
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The city of Asheville is breaking with CDC guidance on homeless camps to prioritize public safety for people with and without homes. Assistant city manager Cathy Ball has maintained since January that the city would continue to align public health precautions outlined by the CDC unless tent cities posed significant safety concerns.
She said encampments in Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Aston Park have met that threshold and are deemed too unsafe to continue. Records from the Asheville Police Department show officers responded to 10 calls at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park and 14 calls for service at Aston Park since March 1.