State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) blamed Arizona Democrats, namely Governor Katie Hobbs, for the continuing Arizona homeless crisis, even as Phoenix’s homeless encampment known as “The Zone” continues to persist months after court ordered the city to clear the camp.
In a statement to The Arizona Sun Times, Wadsack warned Democrats are “unwilling to work across the aisle” to address the homeless crisis.
“I have personally witnessed the human tragedies that occur in ‘The Zone,’ every day when I’m leaving the Capitol. We have the same issues in Southern Arizona,” she said.
“I’ve personally spoken to those affected by homelessness and creating real solutions that start immediately will be a top priority for me in 2024,” Wadsack (pictured above, right) added.
The state senator noted that Hobbs vetoed her bill, SB 1413, which would have made homeless encampments on private property examples of trespassing, and would have allowed Arizona cities to remove homeless encampments after one warning and a 24-hour grace period. The confiscated property would have been destroyed if left unclaimed for two weeks.
That veto “was because Democrats, including Katie Hobbs are unwilling to work across the aisle on this critical issue,” Wadsack told The Sun Times. The senator added, “I expect them to put politics aside for the sake of our safety and for the lives at stake on the streets.”
In her veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert), Hobbs claimed Wadsack’s bill failed to address “root causes” behind homelessness and offered “no pathways to assistance” in a move that “effectively criminalizes experiencing homelessness.”
Hobbs also vetoed SB 1022 and SB 1024, both introduced by State Senator John Kavanaugh (R-Fountain Hills) and aimed at addressing the homeless crisis.
SB 1022 would have made it illegal to sell goods, solicit donations, or beg on a traffic island or median, and SB 1024 would have made it illegal to set up tents, tarps, or other makeshift housing in public areas. The Associated Press reported that SB 1024 would have prohibited such constructions on sidewalks, alleyways, streets, paths, or other public rights-of-way. Hobbs defended the veto by claiming the move would make the homeless “less visible.”
Meanwhile, Arizona’s largest homeless encampment, “The Zone,” remains in downtown Phoenix months after area businesses and residents successfully brought a lawsuit to force the city to act. Phoenix officials said the city planned to finish clearing the camp in April of 2024 during a July 11 court appearance.
While reports claim the camp’s population has decreased by around 300 from its original 1,000 or more residents, last week, The Human Services Campus gave The Sun Times a current street count of 898 people in “The Zone.” The street count, or number of people sleeping on the streets in the area, had risen from 810 in the week prior.
Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) told The Sun Times the city has leased two hotels, generating 100 shelter beds for the homeless, and plans to add a total of 900 shelter beds by the end of 2024. The city is also creating a public camping area featuring security and services for the homeless at a location blocks away from “The Zone.”
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Tom Pappert is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Katie Hobbs.
