Phoenix Successfully Clears Downtown Homeless Encampment and Helps Over 500 Find Shelter
Published on November 4, 2023, at 11:58 p.m. ET
In an impressive display of compassion and efficiency, the city of Phoenix has managed to clear out a massive downtown homeless encampment, meeting the court-ordered deadline. With the help of city workers, over 500 people have been successfully relocated to shelters and motels, providing them with much-needed beds.
Once filled with rows of tents, the streets in this area of Phoenix are now unrecognizable as the encampment has been completely dismantled. Only a few individuals remain, some aimlessly wandering while others push shopping carts filled with their personal belongings.
One individual, Lily Bitsui, 33, expressed her gratitude for finding alternative shelter. “I was staying with a friend in a tent, but he’s now gone to a shelter,” she said. Unfortunately, Bitsui missed the opportunity to engage with city workers who were offering assistance in finding suitable accommodations. Nevertheless, she appreciates the positive changes in the area, stating, “They’ve really cleaned up things, and there’s a lot less crime around here now.”
Rudy Soliz, the operations director at the Justa Center, an organization catering to older homeless individuals by providing services such as meals and housing assistance, shares Bitsui’s sentiment. “I’m glad that a lot of those people have gone to shelters,” Soliz said, emphasizing the impact the clear-out has had on reducing neighborhood crime.
City officials began the process of clearing the area block by block in the spring. They offered the individuals residing on the streets various options for indoor sleeping arrangements, including emergency shelters, temporary motel stays, and longer-term transitional housing for older individuals. Following the clearance of each block, extensive cleaning took place, and camping was prohibited in those areas.
According to city officials, over several months, they offered assistance to 718 individuals in finding shelter, and an impressive 80% of them, totaling 585 people, accepted the placement. Furthermore, Phoenix has recently converted a city parking lot to cater to homeless individuals seeking safer and controlled circumstances for pitching tents. Currently, 21 individuals are staying at this site, equipped with portable restrooms and showers, meal service, property storage, security, and a resident code of conduct.
The successful relocation of so many people was made possible by the addition of 482 new temporary shelter beds throughout this year, including 362 in October alone. Additionally, the city’s largest emergency shelter nearby provides 600 beds for those in need.
While the city of Phoenix has met the court’s deadline, it acknowledges that there is still work to be done. Striving to ensure that every person has access to safe housing and services, while preserving quality of life in the neighborhoods for all residents, remains the ultimate goal.
As Phoenix, like many other major cities, grapples with striking a balance between the concerns of businesses and homeowners and the rights of homeless individuals, this successful clearance of the downtown encampment marks a significant step forward.
Source: [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2023/11/04/news/phoenix-finishes-clearing-downtown-homeless-encampment-after-finding-shelter-for-more-than-500/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons)
