Tempe buys motel for homeless, gets grant to fund shelter beds
Sep 16, 2021, 4:05 AM
A pedestrian walks along next to a homeless encampment as temperatures continue to soar past 115-degrees Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — The city of Tempe on Tuesday announced the purchase of a 40-room motel to provide temporary housing to the homeless.
The shelter, located near Apache Boulevard and Loop 101, is scheduled to open in December 2021 following repairs, officials said in a press release.
The Tempe City Council approved the $3.3 million property purchase last week using federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Along with the new shelter space, the city council approved $450,000 in nonprofit grants to provide 62 beds. The grants were awarded by a partner of the city, Tempe Community Council, officials said.
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The Tempe Community Action Agency is set to receive $281,980 to fund at least half of the shelter beds for adults, as well as other forms of assistance, including housing navigation.
There’s also about $170,000 going to A New Leaf to take people to East Valley Men’s Center in Mesa, where they will get various forms of assistance, such as behavioral health services and housing support.
The property will eventually be built for permanent, affordable multi-family housing, officials said, in alignment the Affordable Housing Strategy and Hometown for All initiative. No date was mentioned on its future development.
“By working with nonprofit partners to expand shelter space and purchasing a motel for temporary housing, we are not only providing significantly more safe spaces for people in need but also creating a truly viable path toward ending homelessness,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said in the release.
