Scottsdale to continue assisting homeless seniors, families with new grant
Jul 10, 2023, 8:00 PM
(Caitlin O'Hara for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(Caitlin O'Hara for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
PHOENIX — A state grant will allow the city of Scottsdale to continue assisting homeless seniors and families, the city announced Thursday.
The Arizona Department of Housing awarded the city $940,000 from the state’s newly created Homeless Shelter and Services Fund.
The grant will allow the city to continue an existing program that provides those in need with emergency shelter at a Scottsdale hotel along with assistance from social services caseworkers, nutrition and essential needs support, according to a press release.
Scottsdale has operated a bridge housing program that provides temporary shelter combined with services and support for more than a year. The programs have resulted in a 44% decrease year-over-year of people experiencing homelessness in the city, the release stated.
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega said the city is grateful to be a Homeless Shelter and Services Fund grant recipient.
“This award bolsters our efforts to provide homeless individuals and single-parent families with access to healthy, safe and decent temporary housing and supportive services,” Ortega said.
How does the housing program work
The city rents 10 rooms in a local hotel to provide emergency housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Eligibility requires participants to work with a caseworker to become self-sufficient and secure stable housing. The city said 84% of participants have secured housing within 30 to 90 days. In 2022, the program assisted 120 people in Scottsdale. It is expected to serve twice as many people in 2023, the release stated.
Seven out of the 10 rooms will be offered to seniors and families with children who have been displaced from their homes in Scottsdale. The other three rooms will host senior women, single mothers and their children or families referred to Scottsdale from the ‘Zone’ area in downtown Phoenix.
Under the grant, these rooms could also offer emergency shelter for migrants who have entered the U.S. legally under Title 42, been vetted by U.S. Immigration and are awaiting transportation to other parts of the country. However, within the last year, the rooms were filled by people experiencing homelessness locally, according to the release.
