Despite the far-reaching impacts of the pandemic, nationwide homelessness rates increased by less than 1% between 2020 and 2022. In Arizona, however, the rate of homelessness increased by a staggering 23%, and many experts believe this to be an undercount due to counting limitations and volunteer capacity.

While local advocates push for greater affordable housing options and more regular assistance to people living in “The Zone,” a homeless encampment in downtown Phoenix, efforts by elected officials have consistently fallen short of demonstrated need. There is a need for more diverse voices at the table.

In 2022, the majority of Arizonans experiencing homelessness – more than 13,000 people – were classified as unsheltered, meaning they were living on the street or in other places not meant for sleeping.

As extreme heat blazes the sun belt this summer and Arizona’s homelessness continues to rise – up 7% this year in Maricopa County – advocates are calling for the political leaders to treat the issue like the crisis it is.

Solutions so far have been piece-meal, often relying on individual volunteering and even private investors stepping up to meet the challenge. And overwhelmingly, public debate has centered around The Zone and how to handle its growing population.

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Extreme Heat, Affordable Housing, and The Zone

The Zone is Phoenix’s largest homeless encampment, where many seniors experiencing homelessness congregate and live. The space is far from incidental, surrounded by what’s known as the Human Services Corridor: a strip of services in the valley where everything from food to healthcare is offered to people experiencing homelessness.

The Zone is a symptom, not a solution. While treatment of The Zone has been “mired in lawsuits” from the public and a judge ruled the city to clear the space earlier this year, the central issue remains: there is nowhere for people to go.

The lack of affordable housing in Arizona is deepening the homelessness crisis, especially as housing costs creep higher and higher nationwide. More than half of Maricopa County residents spend above the recommended 30% of their income on rent alone.

Adding affordable housing options has been top of mind for advocates, human services workers on the frontlines of the crisis, and Arizona residents alike, but there is little movement on potential paths forward while others have been tied up in the state house. Without government backing and investment from developers, the solution is still out of reach.

Homelessness in Communities of Color

It’s no secret that homelessness disproportionately affects people of color across the country.

According to a University of Nevada report, young Black people have an 83% higher risk of becoming homeless than their white counterparts. Young Hispanic people have a 33% greater chance of experiencing homelessness than their white counterparts. LGBTQ youths are more than twice as likely to become homeless than other young people.

Even as nationwide homelessness rates stagnate or even decrease, homelessness has grown among Hispanic or Latine people, people who identify as Native American or Pacific Islander, single individuals and people with disabilities who are chronically homeless.

Arizona is no exception. People of color represent less than 30% of the overall state population, but according to the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, non-white people make up nearly half of the homeless population.

The All-Hands-On-Deck Approach to Homelessness

The silver lining to the homelessness crisis is that there are so many ways to get involved. While real-time efforts like volunteering may seem inconsequential in the face of a devastating crisis – any amount of support can and does help.

This year, Maricopa County is looking for volunteers for the 2023 Point-In-Time counting, which helps the state better understand the gravity of the issue and better allocate resources to those experiencing homelessness.

This summer, as temperatures soared above 110°F for a record number of days this July, groups of volunteers, nonprofit and human services workers helped facilitate one of the biggest clean-ups of The Zone to keep people “cool, hydrated, and safe.”

And more recently, the Arizona Department of Transportation coordinated efforts with the Homeless ID Project to help people experiencing homelessness in the Valley easily access state-issued IDs.

As a LEE member, you know the value of community, even and especially when addressing systemic-level challenges. While homelessness will not go away by volunteering alone, long lasting, sustainable, and equitable solutions start with the individual person who is willing to listen and willing to help.

So whether you’re looking for that one-time volunteer opportunity, or looking to organize in your community, or looking to run for office – bringing your perspective to critical state legislature and policy conversations – LEE can help you find the pathway that’s right for you.

Learn more about the contributing factors to homelessness in Arizona and how you, a LEE member, can get involved.

Are you interested in learning how you can get involved?