The Haven opens in Phoenix, providing solutions for unhoused seniors

PHOENIX — A new shelter for unhoused seniors in Phoenix is now taking in occupants after it was converted from a closed-down hotel.

The Haven, at the site of the old Phoenix Inn near 27th and Northern avenues, is open with space for up to 170 seniors at least 55 years old.

The hotel was purchased by the city of Phoenix using federal COVID-19 relief funds before being converted into the shelter.

It’s run by Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) and the renovation of the Phoenix Inn into The Haven started at the end of 2021.

It was originally slated to open in 2024 but the project ran into several issues related to the renovation from the hotel to shelter.

What amenities does The Haven offer?

The Haven offers:

• 130 units that can be used for single or double occupancy.
• Private areas.
• Communal kitchen (and meals provided by St. Vincent de Paul).
• Accommodation for pets.
• Wrap-around services, case management and other similar services for occupants.

On top of those services, occupants will also receive dementia screenings when checked in, a point of emphasis for CASS CEO Nathan Smith.

TODAY: Three years after it was first announced, @CASS_AZ is opening "The Haven."

It's a shelter for seniors experiencing homelessness, with 130 units designed for single or double occupancy. Will hold about 170.

You may know the building as the old "Phoenix Inn." @KTAR923. pic.twitter.com/7lsB84zvsp

— Balin Overstolz (@balin_om) January 16, 2025

“The actual quality of life issues, like cognitive decline, physical decline, challenges with securing income are all reasons we need this, and not just this…We need more of these kinds of facilities,” Smith said.

The Haven is an expansion of an earlier effort called Project Haven, also run by CASS, that used a similar model to house seniors during the pandemic.

At the time, former CASS CEO Lisa Glow was concerned about the silver tsunami, or an expected surge in seniors becoming homeless.

The model was found to be successful, and that led community leader Jeff Spellman to advocate for The Haven where it now stands.

It was approved with community support both in the zoning process and through the signage of a good neighbor agreement.

That agreement set out stipulations on rules for CASS to enforce at The Haven, in return for the community’s support.

It also established a community task force related to the shelter and promotes open dialogue between stakeholders.

“We want them [the seniors] to feel like they are part of the community from day one and that they’re welcome here,” Spellman said.

He also believes for The Haven to be truly successful, projects like it need the support of surrounding residents.

That’s also key to his own desire to see the area revamped. Besides The Haven, there are other related projects in the works right by it.

That includes a Super 8 motel conversion into affordable housing by Phoenix specifically meant for seniors. It will be a stone’s throw away from The Haven.

“The people that are coming out of The Haven will eventually need a place, potentially for the rest of their lives,” Spellman said.

Right at the same intersection, the city is also developing a workforce training center that will be called Innovation 27.

Spellman is hopeful these projects will all make the area cleaner and safer.

“Look what’s happening at Metrocenter, look at what’s happening at Grand Canyon University down further on 27th Avenue,” Spellman said. “This is going to be a big part of that, with Innovation 27 and the shelter and the affordable housing.”

How quickly will The Haven be filled?

Smith hopes The Haven’s 130 units will be full by summer, a time of year when unhoused people face high risk of heat-related injuries or deaths.

Occupants will not come from the streets directly but will be referred either from CASS’ downtown single adult shelter or through referrals from other organizations.

But there are some people already there, including a man named Jaun Beltran.

He describes staying at another shelter where he had no privacy before calling to God for a chance to go somewhere else.

“And about three or four days later, they dropped a paper in my bed,” Beltran said. “It was a blessing from God, you know, so I’m very happy with it.”

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