Phoenix awarded more than US$13 million for creation of homeless shelters

ARIZONA – The City of Phoenix will receive US$13.3 million for the creation of homeless shelters after the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) announced it would award nearly US$20 million in grants to local governments from the Homeless Shelter and Services (HSS) Fund.

“The City of Phoenix welcomes this new partnership with the Arizona Department of Housing, and we look forward to seeing the results of collective investments from cities across the state. Together, we can make real progress toward finding long-term solutions to house each and every Arizonan,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.   

The grant funds will be dedicated to creating additional housing options and services for people staying in the area around the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix.

The City of Phoenix reported that it continues to take a targeted approach to address the city’s largest encampment, accelerating existing plans to connect homeless residents to needed resources and services, and increasing resources to meet demand.  

The Office of Homelessness Solutions (OHS) leads the city’s multi-pronged strategic approach to addressing the problem, providing homeless support through a comprehensive, regional point of shelter and heat relief, outreach, supportive and behavioral health services, homelessness prevention, and supportive housing.

OHS has already committed US$140 million to homeless solutions since July 2021, with a significant portion of that funding earmarked to fund ongoing projects that will extend through at least 2024. This has translated into nearly 600 additional shelter beds and 800 more in the pipeline, long-term storage options and much more.