Mayor Yemi Mobolade today signed a $700,000 contract with the Downtown Partnership to advance the Downtown Clean & Safe program, strengthening safety, cleanliness, and coordinated support services in downtown Colorado Springs. The action builds on early results that have improved daily conditions for residents, businesses, and visitors while expanding compassionate outreach and coordinated services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Downtown is the heart of Colorado Springs, serving as a hub for small businesses, culture, and community life. Through a coordinated approach that emphasizes visible presence, connection, and care, the Clean & Safe pilot has helped address concerns related to safety, cleanliness, and quality of life while reducing demand on emergency response resources.
“The Downtown Clean and Safe program shows what is possible when compassion and coordination work together,” said Mayor Yemi. “This additional funding is about investing in our public spaces, supporting small businesses, and ensuring help reaches people who need it most. When downtown flourishes, the entire city benefits.”
“Downtown’s success depends on collaboration and our partnership with the City of Colorado Springs is foundational to that success," says Chelsea Gondeck, CEO of Downtown Partnership. "This $700,000 commitment to the Clean and Safe program is an investment in proactive, people-first security that helps Downtown continue to grow as a safe, vibrant destination for our entire community.”
From July through December 2025, the program delivered measurable results across its three core components. Supplemental security teams patrolled more than 7,100 miles downtown, handled 2,227 incidents, and responded to 431 merchant requests for assistance, with fewer than three percent of incidents requiring Colorado Springs Police Department intervention. Downtown ambassadors made nearly 1,900 visitor contacts, more than 1,200 business contacts, and over 1,000 connections with individuals experiencing homelessness, helping create a more welcoming and responsive downtown environment.
Mental health outreach services, provided in partnership with Homeward Pikes Peak, made 456 contacts with individuals experiencing homelessness, including 142 unique individuals. Outreach workers connected people to 245 services, secured supportive housing for one individual, and helped six people reunite with verified support systems in other communities through transportation assistance.
The supplemental funding from the City is made possible by Colorado Springs voters through the recreational marijuana sales tax, which is dedicated to public safety programs, mental health services, and support for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress. Other funding for the program is provided by Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC, Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, Norwood, Springhill Suites and Element Colorado Springs Downtown, Visit Colorado Springs, and Weidner Apartment Homes.
The City and Downtown Partnership are committed to work closely together with public safety agencies, and community partners to monitor outcomes and refine the program, with a shared focus on accountability, coordination, and care in the city’s most visible public spaces.