Maricopa County is working with Valley nonprofits to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak among homeless populations.
Starting this week, the county will move about 50 people identified as high-risk out of a shelter, into a more isolated facility. The county is also leasing space in a downtown hotel for homeless individuals needing medical supervision.
"In terms of the overall system, we’ve either rearranged facilities or entered into leases to add almost 200 new beds for people, dedicated to this crisis," said Bruce Liggett, county’s Human Services director.
An estimated 600 people live in tents near the Human Services Campus in Downtown Phoenix. This week, the county will open two parking lots with bathrooms and hand washing stations to create more space for people to place their tents farther apart from one another.
