Phoenix unveils ambitious homelessness plan refresh with housing-focused top priorities

City homelessness officials told the Community Services & Education Subcommittee on Oct. 22 that a draft refresh of Phoenix’s Strategies to Address Homelessness prioritizes prevention, better shelter performance and expanded housing options, while seeking new resources and stronger accountability.

“Nothing is more important than the things that help bring people indoors and keep them housed,” Rachel Milne, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, said, presenting the draft vision and five critical focus areas. The vision statement in the draft reads, in part, that “no one in Phoenix should experience homelessness, and no community should feel the negative effects of homelessness.”

Milne said the city’s original plan (adopted 2020) had yielded measurable steps — more than 1,200 shelter beds, a safe outdoor space and a systemwide navigation approach — but that homelessness continues to rise citywide. The refresh, developed with Bloomberg Associates and extensive public input (46 interviews and more than 600 survey responses), outlines prevention, safety, coordination with behavioral health and employment, housing interventions and improved accountability.

Deputy director Scott Hall described practical initiatives: use data and system modeling to size needed shelter and supportive housing investments, expand diversion and rapid‑exit strategies, prioritize rental subsidies and vouchers, and bolster workforce training for providers. He said the office plans targeted strategies for council districts with mismatches between kit distribution and overdose or service need and will pilot geographies for outreach.

Committee members asked detailed questions about the community court, lived‑experience work groups convened by the Maricopa Association of Governments, the city’s “no wrong door” policy at shelter sites, and police training to connect people to services rather than enforcement. Councilwoman Anna Hernandez pressed for clarity on how governing decisions are routed and how the city maintains a service-first approach. OHS staff described Phoenix CARES, a multi‑department referral system, and peer‑navigation pilots with Phoenix Police Department.

Council members and staff emphasized the need for more housing choice vouchers; staff and councilmembers said they will press state and federal partners and pursue private philanthropic collaborations. Milne said the city will present an updated draft to the subcommittee before seeking full council approval in January 2026.

Public commenter Jeff Spellman urged stronger actions to separate and address criminal activity embedded in encampments, arguing for law‑enforcement interventions to remove criminal actors before offering services to others in encampments.

The subcommittee did not vote on the draft; staff will return with a revised plan and implementation steps.