The Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority has granted $170,000 to Valley of the Sun United Way to fund operational costs for the temporary overflow shelter at the Human Services Campus. This grant will help fund the program through June 30, 2016. County general funds will keep the overflow shelter open through the summer.
“Our Human Services Department is working on long-term solutions that get people to the programs they need very quickly,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman, Clint Hickman, District 4. “That helps people get back on their feet, but in the meantime, they need a safe place to sleep.”
The temporary overflow shelter allows as many as five hundred people to sleep at Lodestar Day Resource Center and St. Vincent de Paul on the campus. This system started on May 15 of last year after the old overflow shelter was determined to be a fire hazard. The Valley of the Sun United Way, Phoenix and State of Arizona have all partnered with the county to provide this service. “The current solution shows the level of commitment these non-profit organizations and government brings to a vulnerable population,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5.
“I want to commend our IDA for their continued commitment to protecting our homeless population by providing this funding,” said Supervisor Steve Chucri, District 2. “Now county, city and local agencies can continue to collaborate in providing critical housing services where they are most needed.”
The Maricopa County Human Services Department provides case workers and other support that helps place people in homes and apartments. The agency has tracked more than 5,000 people through the temporary overflow shelter since May and continues to improve the system at the campus. The county, working with our partners, will continue to look for regional solutions to the housing crisis and long-term funding for homelessness.