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The Office of Homeless Solutions had to tackle the difficult issue of moving nearly 1,000 unhoused people, and their possessions, off the streets where some had been living for years.
At its peak, The Zone took up roughly 15 city blocks in downtown Phoenix. Some 1,000 people were staying in the area that was filled with tents, handmade shelters, platforms
Over the past year, more than 13,000 people in Maricopa County became homeless.Among them was Jay Duval, who pitched a tent downtown after his roommate moved out and he could no longer afford an apartment.“They wanted $1,200 a month for a studio. That’s crazy,” Duval said.
Jay Duval has been homeless since November. He has a tent, but he says most nights in downtown Phoenix this summer, it was too sweltering to sleep in it.“When you got no breeze or anything, you can’t; it’s way too hot,” Duval said.