Phoenix City Council unanimously approves refreshed 2026 homelessness strategy

Phoenix — The Phoenix City Council on Feb. 10 approved an updated “2026 Strategies to Address Homelessness” plan aimed at reducing unsheltered homelessness through prevention, housing expansion and improved service coordination.

City staff told the council the refresh builds on the 2020 plan and the creation of the Office of Homeless Solutions, and was developed with Bloomberg Associates. Rachel Melny of the Office of Homeless Solutions said the update reflects a year of interviews and public feedback — including 46 stakeholder interviews and a public survey that drew more than 600 responses — and aims to shorten the time people spend in unsheltered situations and increase exits to permanent housing.

The plan lays out five goals: prevent people from becoming homeless; reduce the number of people in unsheltered and sheltered situations; shorten the duration of homelessness; increase housing placements for individuals and families; and improve awareness and effectiveness of services. Staff highlighted recent progress, including creation of about 1,200 shelter beds at 10 projects and the city’s community court, and said the plan adds targeted prevention, shelter-improvement measures, behavioral-health coordination and accountability metrics.

On data-driven prevention, staff described work with a regional analytics group identified in the presentation as ASHAC (a collaboration including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University) to develop predictive modeling for identifying households at greatest risk of homelessness. Staff said they are piloting a shelter-availability dashboard so outreach teams know in real time what openings exist.

Council members asked detailed questions about operationalizing predictive tools, what happens when shelters are full, enforcement metrics tied to public-safety actions, and district-level data reporting. In response, Human Services staff said case managers use a range of options — including detox or stabilization services where appropriate, hotel placements for families when necessary, and ongoing follow-up — and confirmed the city tracks exits to permanent housing by project site.

Councilwoman O’Brien moved approval of the plan; the motion was seconded and the council approved it in a roll-call vote, 9-0. The council directed staff to return with implementation timelines, KPIs and periodic updates to council and the public.

What happens next: Staff said they will finalize implementation timelines and KPIs (in coordination with Bloomberg Associates), continue community and provider briefings, and begin phased operational actions described in the plan. The council’s approval authorizes staff to proceed with the plan as presented and to report back on measurable progress.