Phoenix shelters see increase in tenants after clean up of The Zone

PHOENIX - Phoenix was forced to clean up the homeless population from the area known as The Zone in Phoenix last year.

Six months later, the latest Point-In-Time report shows the number of people that are now in shelters has increased by 15 percent.

Business owners say it's a night-and-day difference since the encampment has been cleaned up. The theft, vandalism and fear invoked in employees are mostly gone, as are the tents along the sidewalks but business owners say more needs to be done.

What are business owners saying?

"That's kind of the dream. That all of those people that, you know, used to be out on the street are now in housing, shelter or permanent housing. Someplace better than in a tent," Electric Supply president and co-owner Bill Morlan said.

His business is located near the area known as The Zone.

"It's so much better to not have that as the first thing that my customers and employees see. As a person who just cares about people, it's also so nice to not have that because it's not a good situation. It was a terrible situation for the people who were out there," he said.

Is it better for people in shelters?

Marcus Robinson was working on a rainy December night and had nowhere to go.

"I had to sleep on the top of the roof where I was working," Robinson said.

Now he goes to the Central Arizona Shelter Services or CASS in Phoenix for a bed to sleep on.

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"I went straight to a rack, not no bunk bed rack. Mine's a single man. Boy, they make me feel so good!" he says.

For the last eight months, he has kept a steady job in construction, building apartments for a general contractor in Mesa. Like many of the people living in shelters, Robinson is working, but it's not enough.

What is keeping people homeless?

Around 25% of the people that stay at CASS on any given day have a job or some other source of income, you know, and it's just so hard to find a place that you can afford," Morlan says.

Morlan is also the chair of the board at CASS. He says it's not just a Phoenix problem, but something the whole Valley needs to get behind.

"There is absolutely no one in this world who benefits from someone sleeping on the street," he says. "You may not think it's your problem, but it kind of is your responsibility."

Rachel Milne, director of homeless solutions in Phoenix, says shelters cannot be the only solution.

"While we know shelter alone does not solve homelessness, it is a crucial first step for many people to connect with the right resources and support to end their homelessness," she said.

What is the situation in other cities?

Tempe's Point-In-Time numbers were also released and showed the number of unsheltered people decreased by 34%.

Many shelters are experiencing over crowding. Phoenix has 790 new beds planned for shelters in 2024 and 2025.