Construction is still underway at a large new homeless shelter in west Phoenix. But city officials this month began offering some beds there to unhoused people. The soft launch of the site comes in an effort to get more people off the street during dangerous summer heat.
“We’re really happy to open, even to this half-capacity, to get these much-needed beds online in the hottest part of the summer,” said Rachel Milne, director of Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions.
Since mid-July, about 65 beds have opened in a temporary building and two converted shipping containers on the site on 71st Avenue, Milne said. About 75 more beds will become available in coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Milne said, construction is continuing on the permanent buildings that will be on the seven-acre site. When it’s fully open, the shelter will have capacity for about 280 people, but the city has not announced a timeline for completing construction.
Maricopa County is investigating more than 400 possible heat-related deaths so far this summer. 37 heat deaths have been confirmed. In past years, unhoused people have made up a significant share of the county’s heat deaths.
But amid this summer’s relentless triple-digit temperatures, homeless shelters across the region are full. Milne said the city has seen huge demand for new shelter space.
“We have a capacity issue in our shelter system, certainly. And as we open new beds, that capacity is filled immediately,” Milne said.
-
Maricopa County has confirmed 230 heat-related deaths so far in 2026 — a 60% increase compared to the same point last year. Another 567 deaths are still under investigation. -
Summer in metro Phoenix is proving to be, yet again, one of the hottest on record.
-
An extreme heat warning remains in effect through Sunday. High temperatures are expected to be above 110 degrees. Cooling centers across the Valley are seeing high demand. -
Phoenix budgeted $2.5 million annually for a new master lease program. The city's Office of Homeless Solutions will rent about 50 apartments and sublet those units to people coming out of shelters. -
The Tucson City Council today will hear a presentation about a new pilot program called the Focused Deterrence Quality of Life Initiative. It’s a six-month pilot and appears to be focused on the city’s northwest side.
