Colorado Springs mayor marks progress on homelessness plan, adds new team
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Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. Photo: Rachel Woolf for the Washington Post via Getty Images
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said Wednesday his Homelessness Response Action Plan is more than halfway complete, even as homelessness worsens.
Why it matters: Homelessness is "one of the most visible and complex challenges facing the city," the mayor said at a briefing, and there's no clear solution.
State of play: Less than two years into the five-year project, the 61-point plan is 59% complete through July and another 25% is underway. Action items achieved include:
- Tougher enforcement of the sit-lie ban and more encampment sweeps.
- Stronger police presence in the downtown business district, and more spending on private security and downtown ambassadors.
- More rental assistance funding for those at risk of losing their homes.
- The expansion of winter shelter capacity and additional behavioral health services.
- The development of 3,000 affordable housing units.
By the numbers: A statewide report released earlier this year counted 7,078 people experiencing homelessness in the Pikes Peak region in 2025, up from 6,787 the year before.
- Local service providers also saw a 19% spike in demand for homelessness services.
What they're saying: "We've come a long way and we still have a long way to go," Mobolade said.
In response to criticism about the tactics, Mobolade added: "We can treat people with dignity and enforce our laws. … We can protect our neighborhoods, businesses, public spaces, while helping people move towards stability. Compassion and accountability must work together."
The latest: On Wednesday, the mayor launched a citywide team to coordinate the 15 departments and divisions responsible for the Springs' fragmented homelessness response.
- The team includes police, fire, housing officials, parks, public works, transit, municipal court, emergency management and others.
- Members will meet regularly to coordinate encampment closures and outreach to standardize procedures and share information.
What's next: The remainder of the mayor's homelessness plan must wait. 13% of the 61 points are scheduled to start in 2027 and another 3% remain in limbo.