Phoenix, AZ: Plans for a 280-bed sanctuary have been disclosed by the City of Phoenix in the vicinity of 67th Avenue and Van Buren Street.
Two structures would house the shelter’s two hundred cots, with one designated for men and the other for women. Eighty additional beds would be housed in X-shaped edifices that have been repurposed from cargo containers.
Additionally, the website would incorporate a navigation center that would assist users in locating medical and behavioral health services. As the shelter would function as a confined campus, referrals from service providers would be required to access the facility.
The city stated that residents of this proposed location would be required to abide by a stringent code of conduct and be under constant surveillance.
Phoenix anticipates that the site will be operational by the beginning of this summer, providing residents with a secure haven as the temperature begins to rise.
In recent years, housing and homelessness concerns have grown in prominence in the Valley, as the municipality has confronted the challenge of determining how to assist the homeless.
Downtown residents and businesses sued the city in 2022 for failing to address the issue when a large homeless encampment called “The Zone” emerged mere blocks from the State Capitol.
The encampment in question was compelled to be cleared by the judge, who determined that city officials were permitting The Zone to develop into a public nuisance.
Subsequently, by 2025, the Office of Homeless Solutions of the city intends to augment the number of shelter spaces by 790.
The Phoenix Board of Adjustment will consider the proposed project for approval on April 4 at 12 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Phoenix City Council, located at 200 West Jefferson Street. Upon receiving approval, the city intends to commence preparations for the site’s opening without delay.