Phoenix adopts new plan to reduce homelessness, expand shelters

The city of Phoenix has formally adopted a new plan to address homelessness.

Homelessness in the Phoenix metro area has grown to record numbers in recent years.

Phoenix launched an Office of Homeless Solutions in 2022. In the years since, the city has taken a more hands-on role, shifting from a funder of homeless services to a provider, opening more city-run shelters.

The new plan adopted by the City Council on Tuesday sets ambitious goals for new Office of Homeless Solutions programs meant to decrease homelessness and further expand shelter and housing availability in the city.

Office of Homeless Solutions Director Rachel Milne told City Council that Phoenix currently faces jams within its shelter system, with people stuck in shelters for too long before they can find housing.

“If we had some of the initiatives that we call for in this plan where we could rapidly exit people who really just need a small amount of assistance, that creates more flow in our shelter and creates more availability in our shelter,” Milne said.

The plan sets short-term goals to streamline shelter referral services and to use data to better identify people at-risk for becoming homeless. Longer-term goals include establishing new shelter and housing options for high-need individuals and developing new housing models.

The plan sets no price tag for these goals and acknowledges that funding for the projects will be a challenge. Much of the city’s budget for homelessness programs in recent years has come from pandemic-era federal aid, and those funds are set to expire at the end of this year.

“To fully realize the goals outlined in this plan, Phoenix must continue to secure and grow sustainable funding across multiple sources,” the plan states. “Without strong and predictable resources, the system cannot evolve beyond crisis response.”