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City of Phoenix says majority of homeless are staying in shelters
New data reveals more than half of Maricopa County's unhoused population is currently living in shelters. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen learns more about the long-term plan to significantly reduce homelessness by 2029.
PHOENIX - New numbers show a major shift in homelessness across Maricopa County. While overall numbers remain steady, for the first time, more than half of Arizona's unhoused population is now living in shelters.
What we know:
The city of Phoenix is actively expanding its resources, as they have recently added more shelter space and brought entirely new facilities online.
The city has 10 different projects dedicated to sheltering folks. It is all part of a massive, long-term plan to significantly reduce homelessness by 2029.
Local perspective:
"This is what it looks like," said Joel Coplin, owner of Gallery 119.
Not only does Coplin paint the homeless he sees outside, he also lives above his art studio in what is known as the Zone near 11th Avenue and Madison Street, a Phoenix area known for a high concentration of homeless people.
"It's like watching a goldfish bowl kind of," Coplin said. "People are coming and going."
In 2023, the sprawling homeless encampment was cleared out, but Coplin says the area is once again filling up with tents.
"There's still hundreds of people on the street, could be up to a thousand depending on how far out you want to go," Coplin said.
Big picture view:
Coplin wants to see more homeless services across the Phoenix metro-area.
"If you came from Mesa, you should go to a shelter in Mesa," Coplin said. "If you came from Sunnyslope, you should go to a shelter in Sunnyslope, rather than everybody being stuck down here in one five-block area."
By the numbers:
The city of Phoenix offers 1,200 indoor beds and 300 outdoor beds. Since last year, the city says the number of homeless people living in shelters went up from about 3,500 people to about 4,000 people.
Dig deeper:
To increase that number, they partner with organizations like Saint Vincent de Paul.
"Ideally we're helping folks move in to permanent housing," said Jessica Berg, the Chief Program Officer for St. Vincent de Paul.
The number of unsheltered people in Phoenix, the city says, went down by 448 people from 2025 to 2026.
"We need to prevent as many people as possible from needing these services, so helping them keep stable in housing," Milne said.
Milne says part of that is connecting people with work opportunities at St. Vincent de Paul.
"So they're able to build up their resume, get used to waking up at a certain time, being on time," Berg said.
What they're saying:
People like Coplin say the city is trying their best.
"These are just people that are homeless, and people shouldn't be afraid of them, and we have to spin a positive attitude on it," Coplin said.
What's next:
The city is subleasing units to low-income people and providing rental assistance for those needing help. The city is also planning to have more than 100 housing units for seniors next year.
The Source: The City of Phoenix