For the 10th time, Phoenix clears a block of 'The Zone.' But now a deadline looms

Phoenix officials on Wednesday morning cleared the 10th block of "The Zone" — 11th Avenue between Jefferson and Madison streets — as lawsuits related to the homeless encampment press forward.

Much has changed since the last cleanup on Sept. 20, the same day a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered Phoenix to permanently clear the camp of people and tents within six weeks. The city now has less than a month until the Nov. 4 deadline and is working to open a campground where people can be moved.

Since then, the city unsuccessfully sought an extension of the deadline and filed an appeal of the Maricopa County judge's ruling. It has also asked a federal court judge in another case for permission to enforce camping and sleeping bans in the area even though there are only a handful of shelter beds available where people living in The Zone could go.

'Zone' residents unsure about the future

Just under 500 people are still living in The Zone, according to the most recent estimates from the Human Services Campus, a collection of homeless service nonprofits surrounded by the encampment.

While some people have taken it upon themselves to move away from the encampment in anticipation of the judicial deadline for it to be shut down, others are skeptical anything will happen or are unaware of the judicial order altogether.

Carolyn Polansky left The Zone and accepted shelter from city officials in the last cleanup but ended up back on the street later that night. She lost her room after attending a routine methadone appointment, she said. Her possessions are still at the shelter where she was invited to stay.

Polansky now lives on the block officials plan to clear Wednesday. She said she does not know where she will go if the encampment is completely cleared. She said she is tired of moving and nervous about losing her belongings again.

"I'm so burnt out," she said.

According to Phoenix's Office of Homeless Solutions, there were 43 people living on the block Wednesday and 32 accepted assistance.

Antoin “Applejacks” Jackson has lived in his tent on the corner of Jefferson Street and 11th Avenue since mid-June. He was in a hotel room for about a week in June, but that arrangement was only temporary. On Wednesday, he was offered a bed in a nearby shelter, which he accepted. He said he was surprised to be connected with a case worker on Wednesday because months had gone by without contact from outreach workers.

Robert Bender, another resident of the block cleared Wednesday, said he preferred not to go to a shelter where he would be living in close proximity to other people. Instead, he left in the morning in search of another place to stay outside The Zone. He said he would rather stay in The Zone where he knows far more people.

"I don't really have an option," he said. "Living in a tent sucks, but at least we were all in one place."

Phoenix still plans to open a structured campground nearby

In late September, the city purchased a plot of state land two blocks from the Human Services Campus to open a campground where people living in The Zone could move.

While officials have said the campground will open this fall, no date has been set. The campground will feature bathrooms, showers, shade and 24/7 security. Drugs and alcohol will not be permitted on the campus.

Some nonprofits working with people living in The Zone are already planning how to adjust if people move from nearby blocks to the structured campground.

The Justa Center, an organization serving seniors experiencing homelessness that is near the Human Services Campus, is looking to provide free bus rides to people who cannot walk from the campground to the center, said Executive Director Dean Scheinert.

The structured campground has 200 allotted spaces, fewer than the number of people currently living in The Zone.

Competing lawsuits move ahead

Phoenix officials have said in recent legal filings that the city faces "the legal equivalent of being caught between a rock and a hard place" as it navigates two competing legal orders related to The Zone.

One, which Phoenix is appealing, requires the city to clear all people from the encampment by November. The second prevents the city from enforcing sleeping and camping bans as long as there are fewer available shelter beds than people experiencing homelessness in the city.

On Monday, Phoenix asked a federal judge to amend the second order so the city would be permitted to enforce camping and sleeping bans in The Zone as long as there is "alternative public, outdoor space" available where people living there can be moved. A status conference on the request was held Wednesday, and another is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Kristin Couturier, a spokesperson for Phoenix's Office of Homeless Solutions, declined Tuesday to provide more information about the city's plans for The Zone.

"There are a lot of legal factors we are working through right now," she said.

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari, whose district includes The Zone, said "asking the city to finish this work in one month is unrealistic and will ultimately be a disservice to the surrounding community." In addition to the structured campground, she said, city officials are identifying other options for temporary shelters.

"Offering more permanent supporting housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness and ensuring our shelters are managed well with extensive on-site services is how we will achieve long-term success," Ansari said.

Former Republic reporter Juliette Rihl contributed to this article.

Helen Rummel covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@gannett.com.

Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Deadline looms as Phoenix clears another block of 'The Zone' camp