Roughly two years ago, there were plans to open an emergency shelter specifically for unhoused people age 55 and older. But construction and permit delays pushed the timeline back. The Haven, as it’s called, finally opened its doors Thursday in metro Phoenix.
Nathan Smith is the CEO of the Central Arizona Shelter Services, or CASS, which The Haven is part of.
"So, this is one of a few, if not one of the only of its kind, emergency shelters for people who are experiencing homelessness across the country," Smith said.
While there could be other similar shelters around the U.S., "there are likely not others at this scale with the ability to serve 170 seniors specifically in one location," Smith said.
And that’s why this day is one of celebration.
Sixth graders from Washington Elementary School, located nearby, played music from their winter concert as guests took their seats for The Haven’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Their principal, Amber Landis, said this is about community.
"It's very exciting for us. We try to partner with our community as much as we can to better the area for our students," Landis said.
As of Thursday, 10 seniors had already moved in. Smith hopes to have every room occupied by summer. He also wants The Haven to be a model for similar projects — sooner rather than later.
"Well, in Maricopa County, if you look at the trends of the numbers of people experiencing homelessness that are older and how they've tripled in four years, and with no projection that says, 'oh, look, it's going to go down,' then naturally we're going to need more," Smith said.
"We're going to get in here and test it out. So we'll be a proof of concept for our area for sure," he added.
