Phoenix homeless camp cleared after neighbors sue city.

Phoenix Faces Lawsuit Over Homelessness Crisis

Residents Sue City Over Failure to Address Growing Homelessness Crisis

More than a dozen people who live and work near the largest homeless camp in Arizona are suing the city of Phoenix over its failure to address the growing homelessness crisis within the city. The residents argue that the city does not offer shelter or resources to those who are homeless and does not enforce quality of life ordinances that forbid activities like loitering, intoxicated behavior, and drug use.

• The city’s policies are not rationally designed to address any of the social ills facing the residents of the Zone and are exacerbating rather than alleviating their problems, residents claimed in the lawsuit.
• The Human Services Campus, which holds the largest homeless shelter in the state, is surrounded by the sizable homeless encampment known as “the Zone,” which is located just west of downtown.
• The city would be required to address the Zone, either by moving it to a different location, setting up a planned camping place where cleanliness is maintained, or offering indoor shelter to people living on the streets.

Phoenix Must Permanently Clear Homeless Encampment

Phoenix must permanently clear the Zone after a judge ruled in favor of the neighbors who sued the city, calling the encampment, next to a non-profit social services hub and blocks from the state Capitol and the city’s Major League Baseball stadium, an illegal “public nuisance.”

• The plaintiffs’ attorneys claim their case could serve as a template for individuals seeking to compel other U.S. communities to remove such encampments.
• The director of the city’s Office of Homeless Solutions told the press that as Phoenix officials get ready to start removing tents from the Zone this week, they are also rushing to build safe options for the displaced.
• They are using state money to rent hotel rooms and vacant buildings to turn into shelters, and they are also creating an outdoor campground with security, restrooms, and hand-washing stations.

Residents and Business Owners Speak Out

Residents and business owners near the Zone have been vocal about the negative impact the encampment has had on their community.

• The Old Station Sub Shop, located nearby where the camp appeared, has been owned by Debbie and Joe Faillace for more than 30 years. When employees arrive at work, they usually find human feces, property damage, and drug paraphernalia, they claimed.
• According to annual counts managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Phoenix area has about half as many shelter beds as people who are experiencing homelessness, a population that has increased 46% since 2019 amid the housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• According to county officials who spoke to the press, more than 700 homeless people died in Maricopa County in Phoenix last year, a 23% increase from 2020.

City Rushes to Build Safe Options for Displaced

The director of the city’s Office of Homeless Solutions told the press that as Phoenix officials get ready to start removing tents from the Zone this week, they are also rushing to build safe options for the displaced.

• They are using state money to rent hotel rooms and vacant buildings to turn into shelters, and they are also creating an outdoor campground with security, restrooms, and hand-washing stations.
• However, they won’t be accessible straight away.
• For the time being, the group of aid workers has intensified its long-standing effort to try to get residents off the streets.

As Phoenix works to address its homelessness crisis, it serves as a reminder of the growing issue across the country. It’s important for communities to come together to find solutions that work for everyone.