Resident urges Casa Grande to fund cooling center and homeless transitional space

Barbara Sundust, a Casa Grande resident, used the public comment period on April 14 to urge the council to address gaps in local services for people experiencing homelessness.

Sundust said she and volunteers ran a laundry outreach on April 8 that served 112 people and processed 612 loads at a cost she reported as $1,915. She described encounters with a young couple living in a car and an elderly woman moving between housing placements, saying there is no short‑term holding place for people who are between housing options. Sundust asked the council to consider using available funding—she referenced a public‑funds total reported in the paper and the city’s quality‑of‑life allocation—to plan for a 24/7 cooling place and other interim services.

The council did not take action during the meeting; Sundust asked that the budget process for the coming year consider measures to help people living outdoors and in interim situations.

Why it matters: residents and service providers say heat, transient housing gaps and limited shelter capacity create urgent needs for cooling and temporary placement options during high‑heat months. Sundust’s comments call attention to operational service gaps that would require funding and coordination among local providers and the city.