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Phoenix soon may have more shelters for people experiencing homelessness thanks in part to the COVID-19 relief funds provided to the city by the federal government.
In February, the Phoenix City Council voted to set aside $14 million in federal funds to purchase or improve up to four homeless shelters.
This is the first substantial financial commitment for new homeless shelters in recent years.
The shelter money will be awarded to nonprofits through a city application process later this year, but the council made clear that it would like to see smaller shelters committed to helping specialized populations such as older adults, people with medical conditions or veterans.
Bill helps West Valley homeless seniors
A Senate bill could lead to converting a hotel into a shelter to cope with a growing population of homeless seniors in the West Valley.
The bill, SB1514, would allocate $5 million to the Department of Economic Security for the creation of emergency shelter beds for homeless adults 55 and older. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. David Livingston, R-Peoria, said it would create the West Valley’s first permanent emergency homeless shelter.
According to Maricopa County’s 2020 Point-in-Time report, which counts homeless populations, the number of unsheltered people counted in the West Valley increased 219% from 2017 to 2020, from 139 to 443.
Last year a bill that would have funded a permanent shelter for people 55 and older was put on pause because of the coronavirus. The bill is back with plenty of bipartisan support, and it’s once again making its way through the Arizona Legislature.A year ago, Lisa Glow, executive director for the Central Arizona Shelter Services, stood outside the state Senate building waiting
Tents in downtown Phoenix in August 2020.
More than 500 homeless people have died in the county during the first nine months of 2020. That’s double the total number of deaths recorded in the county for all of last year, said Central Arizona Shelter Services CEO Lisa Glow.
Thirty percent of this year’s deaths were heat-related, she added.
“We do believe this has been exacerbated by the pandemic, because there were places closed like libraries and fast-food restaurants and places that people could go in the daytime, she said.
Twenty-five percent of those who died were over the age of 60. Thirty percent had chronic health conditions. These figures show that Maricopa County needs to focus on more shelter and housing for this population, she said.