Phoenix's campground now open for people who are experiencing homelessness
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported which entity ran a facility for people experiencing homelessness. Maricopa County opened campgrounds for people experiencing homelessness at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Phoenix officials work to keep the area formerly known as “The Zone” clear of people, construction continues at a nearby structured campground that opened earlier this month.
Phoenix plans to operate the structured campground for three years. The campground, previously used for the state’s surplus property, features tents, indoor facilities and other resources for people experiencing homelessness in downtown Phoenix. The operation has cost roughly $13 million, including the price of the property.
The campground — sometimes called a safe outdoor space or “SOS lot” — is on the corner of 15th Avenue and Jackson Street. Close to 20 people currently live there, according to Rachel Milne, director of Phoenix's Office of Homeless Solutions, but 300 people will be permitted after renovations are complete.
But Milne said the goal is to direct as many people as possible to indoor shelter options like congregate shelter beds and converted hotel rooms. The hope for the campground is to provide an alternative option to people who may not want to move into a congregate shelter.
“It’s really so much better for individuals to go to indoor places,” Milne said.
Components of the campground under construction include renovated shipping containers that will become shelter space — the so-called XWing shelters because of their X-like appearance when viewed from above.
There is no walk-up availability to obtain a campground space, Milne said. Residents must be directed there from elsewhere, such as the Human Services Campus, a nearby collection of more than a dozen homeless service organizations, or the nonprofit Community Bridges Inc.
On Tuesday morning, Melissa Moreno came to the campground hoping to get a spot inside. Instead, she was told to start the referral process at the Human Services Campus. She left to wait in line at the Human Service Campus Welcome Center a few blocks away.
Campground residents are expected to abide by an 11 p.m. curfew unless they work a night job. Security guards search all residents before entering the area for weapons or other prohibited items, like drugs or alcohol.
Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari, who toured the facility last week, said she was feeling optimistic about what the campground could provide people.
“I think it’s a very dignified solution to the issues that we’re facing,” Ansari said.
The Arizona Republic has not been permitted to tour the facility.
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In 2020, Maricopa County opened campground spaces for people experiencing homelessness to promote social distancing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those old facilities did not have shade, allowing the area to reach very high temperatures during the summer.
The new structured campground has an air-conditioned warehouse where people can eat meals and escape the heat. Milne said more than 200 people will be able to be in the warehouse at once. In addition, Circle the City, a health care nonprofit for people experiencing homelessness, will provide medical care for campground residents, including visits from its mobile medical clinic multiple times a week.
While there are no set restrictions for how long people can stay at the structured campground, officials said it is intended only as a temporary solution. Caseworkers from partner organizations will be at the facility to help people find long-term housing.
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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: Phoenix campground now open for people experiencing homelessness
