Maricopa County will be upping its spending on homelessness services at a heat relief station from $2 million to $6.7 million in Phoenix.
“This partnership with City of Phoenix ensures people experiencing homelessness will have a safe place to rest and recover during our hottest months. That’s reason enough to extend this partnership with the City of Phoenix,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman said in a statement Monday. “But what’s really encouraging to me is that so many of the people who have utilized these shelter services are able to then transition to permanent housing.”
The station at 28th and Washington Streets is intended to provide temporary assistance to 200 homeless individuals, and the facility opened in May 2022. According to the statement, the money is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was the $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 stimulus package intended to help the country rebound after economic turmoil amid the pandemic.
This extension comes as “The Zone,” a homeless encampment in downtown Phoenix with hundreds of people, was ordered by the Maricopa County Superior Court in March to have a significant clearing out by July 10. The city asked for more flexibility with the deadline in court last week, but a judge rejected their request, The Center Square reported.
“The folks we’re seeing at these shelters need more than protection from the weather or a safe place to sleep,” Supervisor Steve Gallardo said in the statement. “They need someone who cares, someone who believes in them, and someone who can connect them to services that can get them into a more stable situation. That’s what this partnership is all about.”
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
