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Phoenix families forced from hotels amid heat
Homeless families relying on temporary hotel vouchers were unexpectedly asked to leave before the program's end date. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz reports.
PHOENIX - Family shelters across Phoenix are overflowing, leaving hundreds of families stuck on waitlists while dealing with lingering summer heat, and while a temporary fix put some of those families in hotels until the end of the month, those families now say that lifeline is suddenly being cut short.
Big picture view:
It may feel like fall elsewhere, but the Arizona heat hasn’t left yet.
"It’s mid-September and it’s still 100 degrees out here," said Bobby Nichols, a Tempe City Council member.
And being homeless in those temperatures is not easy.
"Right now just trying to survive the heat," said Kiera, an individual experiencing homelessness.
For those seeking relief, many family shelters in Phoenix have a long waitlist.
"Right now the family housing hub has a three-month waitlist, with over 200 families on its waitlist," said Austin Davis, founder of AZ Hugs.
Local perspective:
While waiting, another option has been critical. Phoenix-based nonprofit UMOM partnered with the city to provide overnight heat relief, putting some families in hotels.
"They gave me a voucher for a hotel, extended stay for the 30th," a mother who wanted to stay anonymous told Fox 10.
The program was supposed to end Sept. 30. But AZ Hugs says multiple families were told they had to be out by Friday, Sept. 18.
"We have some families who did have to check out this morning and have nowhere to go. They’re back on the streets," Davis said.
What they're saying:
The mother who wanted to stay anonymous said she and her three kids were among those who had to leave their hotel.
"They knocked on the door and said I only had till the 18th. And that was last Monday," she said.
When asked where she was going to go right now, the mother replied: "That is a good question, I don’t know."
While it’s unclear why some families were told to leave early, Davis says this points to a larger issue.
"All of these band aid solutions aren’t fixing the systemic issue behind this. And the level of families that are facing housing insecurity is rising everyday," Davis said.
The other side:
FOX 10 reached out to UMOM to ask if they knew why some families were asked to leave the hotels early. The nonprofit says they are looking into it.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Kiera, an individual experiencing homelessness; Austin Davis, founder of AZ Hugs; an anonymous mother experiencing homelessness; UMOM, a Phoenix-based nonprofit; and the City of Phoenix.