Fox News Asheville story sparks debate over downtown safety, homelessness

Asheville’s downtown reputation carries a price tag, and the latest fight over Fox News’ description of the city as unsafe came as business owners, residents and officials were already wrestling with crime, homelessness and Helene recovery.

The April 25 Fox News story, later amplified by the New York Post, quickly became a local flashpoint. Some Asheville residents said the piece reflected real concerns about homelessness, public safety and quality of life. Others said it flattened downtown into a national talking point and ignored the places that still draw people, spend money and keep the core of the city functioning.

That debate matters because downtown Asheville is not just a symbolic center. Explore Asheville has long framed the city as a major visitor destination with economic impact across Asheville and Buncombe County, meaning negative outside coverage can affect hotel bookings, restaurant traffic, retail sales and event attendance. For businesses built on foot traffic and visitor confidence, the difference between “busy and complicated” and “unsafe” can shape whether people come at all.

The tension over image comes against hard numbers. The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count identified 755 people experiencing homelessness in Buncombe County, including 328 unsheltered people, a 50% increase from 2024. The count, completed Jan. 28, 2025, relied on 135 volunteers, including 60 Continuum of Care members. The local planning body, established Feb. 29, 2024, coordinates the county’s homelessness response with city management and council representation on its board.

The count also showed how Tropical Storm Helene changed the picture. One hundred sixteen people said their homelessness was a result of the storm, underscoring why Asheville and Buncombe County have maintained official recovery sites and why City Council adopted Helene recovery priorities and created recovery boards to increase transparency and community input.

Public safety data tell a more mixed story than the Fox framing suggested. Asheville Police Department data cited by WLOS showed violent crime down 28% from its 2022 peak, while overall arrests were down about 4% since 2020. At the same time, the department has moved ahead with a downtown crime enforcement and quality-of-life plan after repeated complaints from business owners, residents and visitors. A separate APD initiative after three shooting incidents during the first weekend of March ended with 25 arrests and 10 firearm seizures.

At the State of Downtown event at The Orange Peel on April 14, leaders and business owners discussed Helene recovery and a $30 million budget shortfall, a reminder that the city is trying to repair both its finances and its image at once. Downtown retailer Clark Hollins, who owns Hearn’s Cycling & Fitness, said the Fox story misrepresents downtown and pointed to improvements at Pritchard Park. That split, between progress seen on the street and concern felt in the community, is now shaping Asheville’s fight over how the city is seen from outside and how it works inside.