PHOENIX (AZFamily) — As temperatures climb in Phoenix, attention is turning to the city’s unhoused residents, especially those living in “The Zone,” an area of downtown where thousands of people have lived on the streets.
Some businesses say encampments are returning and the city’s work only goes so far.
Joel Coplin’s studio sits in the middle of The Zone, a part of Phoenix lined with homeless encampments. Three years ago, he said, the area was cleared after the city lost the lawsuit filed by business owners and was required to move people out and clean it up.
Coplin said the city continues cleanup efforts, but the results don’t always last.
“The police come around like 5 in the morning and say, ‘It’s 7 o’clock, we’re going to be cleaning up. Everybody’s got to get your stuff up and gone,’” Coplin said.
He said people often return within hours.
Maricopa County recently released new data showing a slight uptick in the number of people experiencing homelessness, but officials say at least half are placed into shelter.
City says conditions have improved
Scott Hill with the City of Phoenix said conditions in The Zone are not what they were.
“Well, experiencing it and doing it with numbers are two different things, too,” Hill said. “Just three years ago, there was 1,000 people out there camping. And that’s not what you’re looking at now.”
Hill said the city’s work continues, including cleanups and outreach.
“Currently we’re at five days a week cleanup while we’re also engaging because my teams are with the streets teams when they’re down there,” Hill said.
Hill said the city has added nearly 1,800 new shelter spaces and expanded heat-relief efforts.
Coplin said he supports a network of smaller facilitiesacross the Valley.
“Well, I think that instead of one big mega-shelter, that you have smaller shelters, spaced throughout the metropolitan area,” he said. “But I would like to say, too, that there’s people that are homeless — they’re just homeless. They’re not murderers.”
He also suggested repurposing vacant motels along Van Buren Street.
“I mean, there’s all kinds of motels that are abandoned and empty, right up and down Van Buren,” Coplin said. “They could be utilized.”
Coplin said he hopes for a day when the people who inspire his work find stability and a new start.
In the area of The Zone, the City of Phoenix says it continues to provide medical services and meals to those experiencing homelessness. Officials say there have been 300 new placements in the last 30 days.
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