Circle the City expands operations to Mesa to provide health care and beds to homeless

The organization that provides health care and respite to homeless individuals in Phoenix is now expanding its operations to Mesa. The move comes amid growing homeless numbers in the East Valley.

Circle the City is set to begin construction on a new medical respite center for the East Valley’s homeless population.

Sister Adele O'Sullivan is the founder of Circle the City. She says while the East Valley has many acute care facilities, which provide short term treatment, "there is nowhere in that large geographic area for persons experiencing homelessness to be discharged where they can continue to recover."

And a place like this can aid recover, she says.

"What we have seen over and over is that medical respite gives people a chance to heal. It programs them for success, not only for regaining their health, but for moving out of homelessness," she said.

But traveling downtown where Circle the City operates two existing respite centers isn’t easy.

"To pick up and leave, where their support system is, their possessions, their animals, all of those things, I mean, it's just very difficult," she said.

O’Sullivan says the new facility will have 85 beds and is expected to open by 2026.