Arizona state Representative Matt Gress is questioning the decision by the City of Scottsdale to shelter the homeless and migrants at a hotel in a high-end area.
The city approved $940,000 in funding from the Arizona Department of Housing, which includes money to “rent 10 rooms at an undisclosed hotel” in north Scottsdale, Gress wrote in his letter. Some of those rooms will be used to shelter the local homeless, including those who have recently crossed the southern border, Arizona’s Family reported.
“The City of Scottsdale’s plan raises as many questions as it does concerns,” Gress said in a Thursday press release. “While we can agree on the importance of addressing homelessness, doing so requires a transparent and well-communicated plan, and this fails on both counts. Scottsdale residents and business owners should be provided clear and complete details relating to the arrangement approved by city leaders and the long-term intent of their plan.”
He wrote in his letter that he’s worried about the effectiveness of using hotel rooms as emergency shelters, as well as why Scottsdale would be requiring homeless from Phoenix to be housed there. In addition, Gress asked if there was communication between the city and the McCormick Ranch Homeowners Association, which is the neighborhood that would most likely be impacted by any change.
When reached out to for comment, the city sent The Center Square a press release in which mayor David Ortega praised the state government grant.
“Scottsdale is grateful to be a Homeless Shelter and Services Fund grant recipient,” Ortega said in the release. “This award bolsters our efforts to provide homeless individuals and single-parent families with access to healthy, safe, and decent temporary housing and supportive services.”
Maricopa County’s homeless crisis has gained nationwide attention, specifically due to the recent clearing out of “The Zone,” a massive homeless encampment in downtown Phoenix. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments 2023 “Point-in-Time” count, there are over three thousand unsheltered homeless living in Phoenix, compared with just 64 in Scottsdale.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
