Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions shares plan for new shelter with 280 beds
Mar 22, 2024, 3:00 PM
PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions is planning to create a new shelter in west Phoenix, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The 280-bed shelter will be near 67th Avenue and Van Buren Street.
Rachel Milne, the office’s director, said the city already owns the property at 11 S. 71st Ave.
Her office is seeking a permit to move the project forward, she added.
“We are excited about it because we are so desperately in need for additional shelter capacity in our community,” Milne told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.
New shelter in west Phoenix will offer privacy, inventive designs
The shelter will have multiple types of structures to suit different needs, Milne said.
“We’re actually utilizing what are called sprung structures,” she said. “Those are like a heavy-duty tent.”
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These soft structures will have air conditioning, heating and access to restrooms, she said.
The two structures will have a total of 200 beds. One structure will be for men and the other will be for women, according to a city announcement.
There will also be four XWings on the property. These buildings are made out of converted shipping containers that are connected to create an X shape. These structures will have 80 private units.
“Those are individual units for people who might have a job, they work overnight, and they need a quiet space,” Milne said.
Highly vulnerable people who need their own space can also use these units, she added.
Not only will the shelter offer private spaces, but it will also provide job opportunities, Milne said.
How will the new shelter in west Phoenix help people find jobs?
“It will have a very heavy focus on employment and workforce,” she said.
A partnership with St. Vincent de Paul will give this facility a unique focus on providing workforce assistance for guests.
People will have the opportunity to start working and earning income, the city announcement said.
Additionally, the city of Phoenix will offer job training and professional development opportunities, Milne said.
“That’s what’s really going to be unique about this site,” she said. “It’s really heavily focused on that employment and workforce piece.”
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Shira Tanzer contributed to this report.
