Phoenix officials asked a Maricopa County judge for more time to finish clearing “The Zone” this week in the first major development since a court order compelled the city to act earlier this year. City officials revealed their plan to clear the homeless camp will conclude in another nine months, even as most of its residents remain.
The court appearance was sparked by attorneys representing local business owners and residents who claimed the city was taking too long to clear the homeless encampment, which has reportedly decreased in population by about 300 residents since the city was ordered to clear it in March.
Judge Scott Blaney (pictured above) said he would issue a decision within 60 days of the July 11 court date, reported the Associated Press, and asked both sides to file findings and conclusions by August 11. City officials said “The Zone” – considered “the largest homeless encampment in Arizona” – will ultimately be cleared in April of 2024, according to local media. About 1,000 people were reported in “The Zone” at its peak, and so far about 300 people have been relocated.
The Human Services Campus, a nonprofit that works with the homeless and is located at the center of “The Zone” confirmed a current street count of 898 people in the homeless camp this week, up from 810 in the week prior, when reached by The Arizona Sun Times.
Citing a 2019 ruling in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled homeless people cannot be criminalized for sleeping outside if no alternatives exist, the city told the court of its various plans to relocate the homeless people of “The Zone.”
On these alternative accommodations, Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) told The Sun Times the city leased two hotels to house “approximately 50 people each” from the homeless encampment and plans to add “more than 900 new shelter beds in 2023.”
Phoenix OHS also confirmed to The Sun Times that a new, city-owned outdoor camping site for the homeless is set to be located at 1537 W. Jackson Street, formerly the Arizona Department of Administration Surplus Property address. The location is blocks away from “The Zone,” which already features “indoor space which will be used as a daytime cooling center,” according to OHS, but the city plans to have “restrooms, showers, and security” in place to open the first phase of the facility this September. OHS also says it will offer services to the homeless on-site.
Likely contributing to difficulties relocating the homeless, Phoenix Police Commander Brian Freudenthal recently told 12 News that “The Zone” is occupied by people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, attracting “people who want to prey on those individuals” by selling drugs and extorting them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this – the opioid epidemic is a whole other level,” said Freudenthal. “They’re preying on those individuals.”
The most recent block of “The Zone” to be cleared was reportedly on 13th Avenue between Madison and Jefferson streets on July 19. One social media user posted an image appearing to show that the block was cleared by 6:30 a.m.
Phoenix AZ "The zone" loses another segment 07-19-2023 6:30AM. Off to the reservations? How come the 9th circuit court hasnt done something? pic.twitter.com/0w7y9NZyB2
— Duane Holsome (@DHolsome) July 19, 2023
Relocating residents of “The Zone” is a growing issue among Arizona Republicans, including State Representative Matt Gress (R-Scottsdale), who recently expressed concern about a plan he said could see Phoenix “export” homeless from “The Zone” to a hotel program in Scottsdale aimed to provide emergency housing to area residents.
“‘The Zone’ is a disaster area,” Gress told The Sun Times, stressing his concern “that you’re going to basically export ‘The Zone’ to this hotel program in Scottsdale.”
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Tom Pappert is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
