Joe Faillace, a long-time sandwich shop owner in downtown Phoenix, experienced a remarkable transformation in his neighborhood this month. After almost 40 years of witnessing tents, emergency sirens, campfires, and drug users, Joe was astounded to see clean and quiet streets outside his shop. The lunch rush now brings in double the average daily sales from earlier this year, making every day feel like a miracle for Joe.
However, this dramatic change was not a coincidence but the result of a contentious and challenging process that unfolded in downtown Phoenix. On September 20, a Maricopa County judge ordered the city to clear away its largest homeless encampment, known as The Zone, which housed over 1,000 residents. The judge deemed the encampment a public nuisance, plagued by “lawlessness and chaos,” with crime rates that infringed upon the rights of local businesses. The city was given 45 days to remove the encampment.
To comply with the court order, the city invested over $30 million in October to establish three homeless shelters. Collaborating with local nonprofits, the city embarked on a block-by-block cleanup of The Zone. Outreach workers offered temporary shelter to more than 700 individuals residing in The Zone, and eventually, 585 of them accepted the assistance and transitioned indoors. Additionally, the city created 362 transitional beds for long-term housing and designated a nearby parking lot as a sanctioned camping area, equipped with security and portable restrooms. Presently, a few dozen people set up their tents in this area.
Nonetheless, despite these efforts, homeless advocates in Phoenix remain skeptical about the long-term efficacy of these solutions. Maricopa County currently has nearly 10,000 homeless individuals, representing a 70 percent increase since 2017. Moreover, the average rent continues to surge at three times the national rate. Consequently, some individuals who dispersed from The Zone have started congregating in tents and on sidewalks in other parts of downtown Phoenix.
Addressing these concerns, Mayor Kate Gallego emphasized that the city’s work to tackle homelessness is far from over. Phoenix police will continue patrolling The Zone to prevent the return of homeless campers. Local politicians and business owners are also engaging in discussions about the neighborhood’s reconstruction. Joe Faillace, for instance, mentioned that Old Station, his restaurant, has suffered lasting scars from the experience. While his wife and business partner, Debbie, decided to leave the restaurant and relocate to a house in Prescott, Arizona, Joe plans to rebuild his customer base over the next few months. Eventually, he intends to sell the restaurant to secure his retirement funds and join Debbie in Prescott next year.
“This has always been our place, so it’s a whole new world doing it without her,” Joe expressed, referring to his wife’s departure. “It’s weird. It’s lonely. But at least now I’ve got customers.”
The efforts to address homelessness in Phoenix are commendable, but as the city and its stakeholders acknowledge, the nationwide homelessness crisis demands ongoing attention and action.
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