City to serve migrants, 'The Zone' evictees

Jul. 10—Scottsdale's homeless population is about to significantly increase.

And, according to Mayor David Ortega and most of Scottsdale City Council, that's a good thing — as they hope city services will find homes for 120 people who were living on the streets of Phoenix or recently entered the country.

On June 27 by a 6-1 vote — with Councilman Barry Graham the lone dissenter — Council approved accepting an Arizona Department of Housing grant of $940,000 from the newly created Homeless Shelter and Services Fund.

According to the agenda information, the grant will allow the city to "expand its bridge housing program with a contracted hotel within city limits.

"This will provide contracted supportive services and meet basic needs of food and drink to individuals and moreover serve those impacted by The Zone and Title 42 between Arizona and Mexico."

The Zone is a 13-acre homeless camp on the edge of downtown Phoenix that includes the 18-year-old Human Services Campus, where 15 different agencies provide various services in seven buildings.

In a searing front-page story March 19, the New York Times reported that in 2022 within a half-mile of a restaurant owned by one of the plaintiffs in a Superior Court suit against the city, "there were at least 1,097 calls for medical assistance, 236 trespassing incidents, 185 fires, 125 armed robberies, 13 sexual assaults and four homicides."

That grim toll was in addition to the charred remains of a fetus and 16 deaths related to suicides, overdoses or weather-related causes.

Calling The Zone "a public nuisance," a judge ordered the city to clean up the encampment by July 10, declaring that city officials have "refused to pursue" a "viable, cost-effective option" of "structured campgrounds."

Phoenix began dismantling the encampment in June but is far from finished.

The expiration of Title 42 at just about the same time was expected to increase the flow of migrants seeking asylum into Arizona.

Greg Bestgen, Scottsdale's Human Services Department director, said he expects the city to serve "another 120" homeless people — both migrants and former inhabitants of the Zone.

According to the annual "Point in Time" count, Scottsdale had 64 unsheltered people in January. This was nearly half of Scottsdale's unsheltered count from the previous year.

That number, however, does not include those who are without permanent residences but are in temporary housing.

Part of Scottsdale's homeless strategy that Bestgen emphasized has been highly successful is to encourage willing participants to leave parks and tents for temporary housing paid for by the city as case managers work with them to develop long-term plans.

Bestgen stressed that the new grant targets senior women and families.

The migrants, he noted, are expected to be in Scottsdale for a short period of time.

Others will stay longer in 10 hotel rooms while case managers assist them in finding stable housing.

Three of the 10 rooms will serve previous residents of The Zone, Bestgen said.

"We put in our proposal that we would serve specifically senior women, women with children and families," he added.

Asked by Graham which hotel would be used, Bestgen said the name is confidential, but "near Pima and Indian Bend" roads.

Bestgen said around 750 people were in and around The Zone. Scottsdale will help around 30 to 40 of them in temporary — and hopefully permanent — housing.

Councilwoman Solange Whitehead spoke in favor of the program. "It's definitely worthwhile to invest in people," she said.

Councilwomen Betty Janik, Kathy Littlefield and Tammy Caputi also expressed their support before the vote.

"This is a perfect example of something we are doing that makes a difference that's measurable," Caputi said.

Scottsdale's grant request calls for the city to spend $500,000 for temporary hotel stays and $400,000 on "supportive services."

"Scottsdale is grateful to be a Homeless Shelter and Services Fund grant recipient," Mayor David Ortega said last month when the award was announced.

"This award bolsters our efforts to provide homeless individuals and single parent families with access to healthy, safe and decent temporary housing and supportive services."

The program is expected to serve approximately 80-120 individuals per year, offering emergency bed nights and supportive services for 30 to 120 days.

Scottsdale's Housing Agency "will collaborate with participants to create a plan for obtaining more stable housing and address barriers to housing stability."

Around the Valley

On June 7, the Arizona Department of Housing awarded nearly $20 million in grants to Scottsdale and other local governments to help them serve homeless Zone residents and Title 42-impacted migrants.

The new budget signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs includes $60 million for the new fund with $20 million to be allocated before June 30.

"I'm proud of the immediate relief our bipartisan budget is delivering to the people of Arizona," Hobbs said.

"We are making real progress toward ensuring affordable housing for every Arizonan," she added.

In addition to the homeless grant money pegged for Scottsdale, $929,000 will go to Tempe, $1 million to Mesa and $13.3 million to Phoenix.

The recent Point in Time countywide operation that counted 64 homeless people in Scottsdale also counted 170 without shelter in Glendale, 115 unsheltered in Chandler and 67 unsheltered in Surprise.

Only Scottsdale from those cities received funding to serve former Zone residents and migrants.

Scottsdale received slightly more homeless grant money than Tempe, though Tempe's homeless population of 406 is six times Scottsdale's homeless count.

In Mesa, 366 homeless people were counted. Phoenix had a homeless count of 3,333.

Bestgen stressed that Scottsdale will offer case management to help the city's new homeless population obtain stable shelter — as it has in the past.

"We have an 84% success rate — and that's for people that have participated in the program and actually gotten into housing from the program," Bestgen said.

Graham raised doubts about the new program. "It feels like we're absorbing Phoenix's mismanagement of the Zone," he suggested.

Phoenix has earmarked $35 million to create 800 new shelter beds in this fiscal year in addition to the $140 million already allocated or spent on shelter and other services for people with no home.

Graham also asked Bestgen how the program would serve migrants.

For those sent to Scottsdale after crossing the border, Bestgen said, "this is very short term."

He said Scottsdale will be working with nonprofit agencies who "make sure that they get them transportation to various parts of the country where they have sponsors.

"It's a very well run system," Bestgen added.

A week after his lone vote failed to stop the grant acceptance, Graham said constituents were not happy.

"I've heard concerns from many residents, such as the lack of notification about the issue and wondering why Scottsdale is housing homeless from Phoenix," Graham said.

"They are also worried that Scottsdale isn't doing background checks of the migrant participants and are concerned about the homeless facility's proximity to local schools."

With some upset — including Arizona Rep. Matt Gress — over Scottsdale's acceptance of the $940,000 homeless grant, the city sent out a clarification late Thursday.

The Scottsdale press release noted that of the rooms the city rents at a local hotel to provide emergency housing, "at least seven of the 10 rooms will be offered to seniors and families with children who have been displaced from their homes in Scottsdale.

"The other three rooms will host senior women, single mothers and their children or families referred to Scottsdale from the City of Phoenix 'Zone' area. Under the terms of the grant, these rooms could also offer emergency shelter for migrants who have entered the United States legally under Title 42, been vetted by U.S. Immigration and are awaiting transportation to other parts of the country.

"However, over the past year, the rooms were completely filled by those experiencing homelessness locally. There have been zero public safety calls associated with individuals in this bridge housing program."

The release featured a quote from the mayor:

"Scottsdale is grateful to be a Homeless Shelter and Services Fund grant recipient. This award bolsters our efforts to provide homeless individuals and single parent families with access to healthy, safe and decent temporary housing and supportive services."

This appeared to be an indirect answer to Gress, who represents Phoenix but sent out a press release blasting Scottsdale's acceptance of the homeless funding.

"The City of Scottsdale's plan raises as many questions as it does concerns," said Gress. "While we can agree on the importance of addressing homelessness, doing so requires a transparent and well-communicated plan, and this fails on both counts. Scottsdale residents and business owners should be provided clear and complete details relating to the arrangement approved by city leaders and the long-term intent of their plan.

"I've reached out to Mayor Ortega for answers to many of the questions our shared constituents have regarding the city's community outreach on this matter, how the program will be implemented, and issues relating to potential impacts. The city is seeking to move forward quickly so I look forward to a timely response."