Homelessness

Maricopa County still on pace for more than 600 heat deaths

Maricopa County still on pace for more than 600 heat deaths

Maricopa County on pace to pass 2023 mark of 645 heat deaths

Maricopa County on pace to pass 2023 mark of 645 heat deaths

Tempe ‘goon squad’ cops arrest homeless advocate in escalating clash

By TJ L'Heureux
Aug 1, 2024

Tempe has Austin Davis on trial for feeding the unhoused and banned him from parks. Friday, he was jailed for trespassing.
Tempe man on trial for feeding homeless now faces ‘vindictive’ ban

By TJ L'Heureux
Jul 17, 2024

Tempe hauled Austin Davis into court for feeding unhoused people without a permit. The city's now banned him from its parks.
After a blistering June, the Valley keeps breaking awful heat records

By Zach Buchanan
Jul 9, 2024

Phoenix keeps setting new daily temperature records. The Valley may set new heat-related death records, too.
Supreme Court opens door to trample humanity of Phoenix homeless

By TJ L'Heureux
Jul 2, 2024

The ruling said cities can arrest unhoused people for sleeping in public, even if they have nowhere else to go.
Extreme heat hits the Valley early. It’s already killed 4 people

By TJ L'Heureux
Jun 4, 2024

The National Weather Service issued its first excessive heat warning for Phoenix, nearly a month earlier than it did in 2023.
‘When is the cycle going to stop?’: Phoenix OKs unhoused camping ban

By TJ L'Heureux
May 31, 2024

The ban criminalizes camping near schools, shelters, childcare facilities and city parks for nearly 7,000 unhoused people.
How a Tempe man’s mission to feed the homeless landed him in court

By TJ L'Heureux
May 24, 2024

The city denied a permit to Austin Davis, who feeds people at Papago Park every Sunday. He hasn't stopped.
New count finds nearly 7,000 people homeless in Phoenix

By TJ L'Heureux
May 24, 2024

Phoenix and Maricopa County have barely made a dent in homelessness, but data shows more unhoused people are finding shelter.
After 645 heat deaths in 2023, are we ready for another deadly summer?

By TJ L'Heureux
May 13, 2024

There will be more cooling centers open for more hours in metro Phoenix. But experts say that's a temporary solution at best.
‘You’re gonna pack the jails’: Phoenix targets unhoused with camping ban

By TJ L'Heureux
Apr 5, 2024

City Council committee OKs banning unhoused people from camping near schools, childcare facilities and shelters despite concerns about enforcement.
Heat killed record number of people in Maricopa County last year

By TJ L'Heureux
Mar 13, 2024

645 people died due to heat in 2023. State, county and city officials are groping for a response.
Arizona sues apartment landlords for ‘immoral’ rent price-fixing scheme

By TJ L'Heureux
Mar 1, 2024

Attorney General Kris Mayes accuses RealPage, nine landlords of acting like a cartel to gouge renters.
Valley officials, volunteers count homeless people on wet, dreary day

By TJ L'Heureux
Jan 27, 2024

They searched sidewalks, alleys, parks, riverbeds and building doorways to count the number of unsheltered people in metro Phoenix.
Valley Metro to light rail riders in Phoenix: Buy a ticket or else

By Adrianna Nine
Jan 26, 2024

The transit system issued hundreds of tickets, booted thousands of people in a security crackdown.
Hundreds of volunteers to scour the Valley for homelessness count

By TJ L'Heureux
Jan 10, 2024

In 2023, volunteers counted 9,642 people experiencing homelessness in the region during the annual effort.
Phoenix clears more of the Zone but faces unforgiving court deadline

By TJ L'Heureux
Oct 17, 2023

The city is contending with conflicting orders from two judges as it clears downtown homeless site. It's asked one to define a campground as shelter.
Judge orders Phoenix to clear the Zone as city struggles to find solutions

By TJ L'Heureux
Sep 26, 2023

A judge called the downtown homeless encampment a ‘public nuisance.’ The city and activists are rushing to meet his 45-day deadline.
Unique Phoenix court offers creative solution to homelessness

By TJ L'Heureux
Sep 22, 2023

The Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court offers unsheltered Phoenicians an avenue to deal with overwhelming fines and criminal charges.
Questions linger about AC failure at Phoenix’s largest homeless shelter

By Katya Schwenk
Aug 10, 2023

Central Arizona Shelter Services lost functioning AC for several days during a record heat wave. Its landlord had little to say about why.
In a trial over the Zone, city’s failures in the neighborhood made clear

By Katya Schwenk
Jul 13, 2023

Hundreds of people live in the homeless encampment, and the outcome of a trial this week may determine their fate.

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