PHOENIX — A shelter intended to bring some of the most vulnerable throughout Phoenix out of the heat in time for summer is running into issues within the community that would host it.
The proposed City of Phoenix-owned site near the intersection of 71st Avenue and Van Buren Street is part of the Estrella Village neighborhood, and the plot sits next to multiple distribution centers.
Concerned neighbors in the community say the city dropped the ball on notifying them about the site, not giving them enough time to make their voices heard in opposition. Multiple community leaders said they were not given notification of the planned shelter, while those who said they did receive notices reported they only got them in early January.
During a well-attended meeting on Thursday night, community members had their first opportunity to voice concerns on the record about the proposed 300-bed homeless shelter.
Many community members expressed to ABC15 on Friday that they supported the need for more shelters in Phoenix, and there were aspects of the plan that they liked, but that the specific location chosen by the city could be detrimental to Estrella Village. The proposed site is located about half a mile from Fowler Elementary School, and under two miles from South Ridge High School and Midtown High School.
"The children have to go back home walking," said community member Jared Cuautle.
If guests at the shelter choose not to abide by its rules, "What's going to happen? Are [the children] going to get hurt?" Cuautle asked.
"They're saying they care. They don't," said neighborhood association member Chevelle Ortega. "They don't care about us. We pay our taxes. We live in the area."
The City of Phoenix says it looked into multiple locations for new shelters in the city, with the ultimate goal of creating 790 new beds in city shelters in 2024 and 2025. According to Kristin Couturier, senior public information officer for the City of Phoenix, the site at 71st Avenue was selected in November 2023 as a "viable option" for the shelter after the city did its "due diligence on the property."
Couturier said the Phoenix City Council approved the architectural and engineering contract for the site in December.
The site is properly zoned for a shelter, Couturier added, but it requires a use permit to operate in the area. The meeting in which a use permit was supposed to be issued was scheduled for February 1, but Couturier said the city pushed it back in order to give the community time to share feedback.
Beyond the safety aspect, multiple residents worried Estrella Village had been chosen because it has a majority Hispanic population. However, to this point, there's no proof that's the case.
"We pay taxes," said Brenda Montoya, a member of the neighborhood association. "We need security for the families, for the children."
The City of Phoenix says the site will have 24/7 security, a code of conduct, and a curfew. It will also be a closed campus with no walk-up services, would only have guests who were "referred by an outreach service provider," and would prioritize people experiencing homelessness who were already in the surrounding neighborhood.
The facility would give guests the chance to find immediate employment through a partnership with St. Vincent De Paul and receive workforce development opportunities, the City of Phoenix said.
The city is hoping to get the shelter up and running by summer before the worst heat waves hit. Last year alone, Maricopa County reported that more than 200 people experiencing homelessness died from heat exposure.
The new use permit hearing is scheduled for February 22 at 1:30 PM. The meeting is virtual.
Any residents of the area who have questions or concerns about the shelter can reach Phoenix's Office of Homeless Solutions at homeless.solutions@phoenix.gov.
