One of the only emergency homeless shelters for seniors in the country opened in Phoenix last month. On Tuesday, Gov. Katie Hobbs toured the facility.
Hobbs toured the Haven, a temporary shelter near I-17, and later met with three residents who recently moved in.
"So you guys have the governor of Arizona here. What would you say to me in terms of what we should be doing more of?" she asked.
For 56-year-old Anthony Thomas Morrison, it’s the need for more support, "because, you know, there's so many people and there's only so many caseworkers and they're overwhelmed and under budget. It's kind of hard. It tugs at your emotions … it's like, 'wow,'" Morrison said.
Not just the supply of housing, but staying in a home
Hobbs has made affordable housing a priority in her budget.
"But part of the housing problem is not just the supply of housing, but it's having people have the ability to maintain that housing. And that requires some supports," Hobbs said.
Like what’s happening at the Haven.
"And a place like this where people can get stable, they can get on their feet, get those supports in place so then they're able to maintain housing long-term is really critical," she added.
And costly. When asked if she thought the Legislature would fund a project like the Haven, she said, "I hope so. I think, and if you heard my State of the State, you heard me talk about this. None of these issues are Democratic or Republican. It's just making sure that Arizonans have the opportunity and the security that they need."
Older unhoused individuals often require additional support because of their fixed income, barriers to finding work and medical conditions like dementia.
See inside The Haven shelter
