Last summer, "The Zone" was lined with makeshift structures and tents in a steadily shrinking 15-block radius. A judge’s ruling meant the city of Phoenix was responsible for clearing the streets and helping relocate the roughly 800 people living there before the year’s end.
Almost a year after the last street was cleared, the number of people camping on the street has changed. But have things changed for those experiencing homelessness in Phoenix?
Theo and Sandra are among those still around. For their personal safety in the former encampment, KJZZ News is only using their first names.
They met two years ago in the Zone when she came by his tent.
“It was summer time, 110,” said Theo. “She came to see a friend of mine. He wasn’t there. It was hot.”
“And he helped me out with the situation and everything,” Sandra added.
“We’ve been together since,” said Theo, “more or less.”
Homelessness has been worsening over the past decade, but especially over the last several years since the onset of the pandemic and especially among seniors like Theo and Sandra.
Regional Housing and Urban Development Director Jason Pu said at the root, it’s a matter of funding.
“Pandemic-era relief measures have run out or are expired,” said Pu. “We are seeing a spike in homelessness and housing insecurity and a record number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time.”
Last summer and into the fall, the city of Phoenix was busy working to clear the 15-block encampment.
“Now when you go down to the area it is very very different,” said Rachel Milne, director of the city’s Office of Homelessness Solutions. “You will no longer see tents or makeshift structures.”
In fact, the streets are mostly empty. But there are still plenty of people walking around and thousands access services on Key Campus every day, a several-acre property that houses over a dozen nonprofits offering everything from overnight beds to dental services.
Circle the City’s Dr. Rebecca Moran has seen thousands of patients at their downtown location where they offer health care services to people in varying stages of homelessness.
“There are a lot of services on this campus, which is probably one of the main reasons why the encampments built up around this campus to begin with,” she said.
She and her staff try to provide patients some necessary dignity in the form of clean clothes and a shower, but still: “Discharging a patient after a stroke to home health services is one thing. But when home is the street, that’s something very different.”
While the number of tents on the street has changed, Keys to Change CEO Amy Schwabenlender said the level of need hasn’t really.
“There's more cooling centers, more heat relief stations across the Valley,” said Schwabenlender, “which I think is good to help meet people where they are.”
But she said they’re still struggling with getting material donations to back that sentiment up, a need reflected at a national level with HUD.
“HUD estimates that it is funded at only about 20% of the need,” said agency regional director Pu. “That is, for every 5 individuals and families that are eligible for resources, we only have enough funding to provide housing and services to just one out of those five.”
Milne said the city’s efforts to offer more resources are at least helping somewhat.
“We spent lots of time with all 800 of those individuals finding out who they were, what their needs were, and trying to offer them diverse solutions in order to help meet their needs,” said Milne, “and that was really key in our success.”
More than 80% of people they engaged accepted services, she said, and nearly 20% out of that group are now permanently housed.
“As it was going on, I know I had patients who were worried that, ‘Well, is this going to be temporary and I'm going to end up exactly back where I started?’” said Moran. “[They] want this to be successful, but had concerns of, ‘What happens after this is done? Am I going to be forgotten about after that?’”
Of course, said Moran, some solutions aren’t going to work for everyone.
“I know some people have gotten permanent housing,” she said. “Some people have just moved to other underpasses or to other parts of the city.”
Milne said the structured outdoor space her office has introduced has been a safe option for those not ready for or interested in indoor shelter.
“We've served over 800 individuals at that location so far,” said Milne. “And a great majority of them have moved on from that site either to shelter or to housing directly.”
Almost a year later, Theo is still working toward housing. He said moving people indoors alone isn’t enough.
“It’s like you can take the people out of the Zone,” said Theo, “but you can’t take —”
“— the Zone out the people,” Sandra said in unison.
“— sometimes,” Theo finished. “They still be in the apartments, acting like they're out here. And that's why some of them get kicked out.”
Ever since the judge’s order to clear the streets came down, said Theo, police presence has noticeably picked up. As a result: “We travel light now. Nothing heavy, you know. Travel light as you can, because you gotta move.”
But overall, Theo said he and Sandra aren’t looking for much.
“Give me four walls and a locked door,” he said with a nod. “I'll be cool.”
“And some air conditioning,” Sandra added.
Until then, said Theo, they’ll figure it out day by day.
