Today, the Board of Adjustment approved the Use Permit for the City of Phoenix to
operate
a new 280-bed shelter and navigation center at 11 S. 71st Ave.
The
City
is pleased that the Board of Adjustment recognized the urgent need for more shelter in our community given the ongoing homelessness crisis and the health crisis caused by extreme heat on unsheltered individuals.
The City
of Phoenix Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS)
will continue working with the residents,
businesses
and stakeholders in the area, to ensure that concerns surrounding the shelter are addressed.
There are several
commitments
in place for the community including:
The Use Permit includes stipulations for how the shelter will
operate, which OHS collaborated with the community to create.
OHS also created a written Good Neighbor Agreement for the community which addresses items not in the stipulations, including how the City and shelter provider will work with neighbors to promptly address concerns.
The community can continue to provide feedback through a 15-person community advisory committee that will consist of a majority of
local residents
or neighbors. The committee would meet monthly leading up to the opening of the shelter and quarterly thereafter.
Once the shelter opens, it will also have a dedicated 24/7 hotline for residents to report any concerns to the
City. During the development process, residents with questions or concerns
regarding
the shelter are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Homeless Solutions at
homeless.solutions@phoenix.gov.
The shelter will be a closed campus, meaning no walk-up services will be offered at this location and guests must be referred by an outreach service provider. The facility will have 24/7 security, a strict code of conduct and a curfew.
OHS
frequently
conducts outreach in the surrounding neighborhood and the efforts confirm there is a significant need for a safe, indoor shelter in the area. In the last month, OHS outreach workers
identified
nearly 250
people experiencing homelessness within 1.5 miles of the shelter site. Right now, there is no shelter to serve people in need in this area. This shelter will prioritize unsheltered individuals who are already in this community.
There is a critical need to meet people where they are and provide services across Phoenix to help people end their homelessness.
The shelter will create 280 of the 790 new shelter beds the Office of Homeless Solutions is partnering to add in 2024 and 2025, as part of the City’s continued commitment to expanding shelter capacity in Phoenix. It will
offer wraparound, individualized services
on-site, to help people end their homelessness including case management, behavioral health services, and access to medical services. The site will also offer meals,
personal property
storage, RV parking and space for people’s pets. This facility will also have a unique focus on providing workforce opportunities for shelter guests, including the opportunity to obtain immediate employment. Learn more about the project history.
The
City
will begin work on the site
immediately, with the goal of opening the shelter
as soon as possible
to serve people experiencing homelessness.
