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Phoenix council approves emergency-shelter vendor changes after extended Safe Outdoor Space Q&A
Summary
Council approved an amendment to the city’s emergency shelter and respite vendor list while pressing the Office of Homeless Solutions on safety, mold testing, food and water at the Safe Outdoor Space; staff said there were no recent heat-related deaths and that two independent tests found no mold.
The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday approved an authorization to amend the emergency shelter and heat-related respite operator and supportive-services vendor list and to increase contracting authority, after council members questioned city staff about conditions and management at the Safe Outdoor Space.
Rachel Milne, who the record identifies as leading the Office of Homeless Solutions, told council that "that is not a correct statement" in response to earlier testimony alleging a recent heat-related death at the site. Milne said the office has not had a recent heat-related death at the Safe Outdoor Space; she confirmed a pet had died after being kept in kennels overnight but said staff had no information that the death was heat-related.
Councilman O'Brien, who requested the briefing, pressed Milne for details after public comments raised claims about deaths, flooding, mold, and inadequate food. Milne said Keys to Change—one of the site operators—contracts with St. Vincent de Paul to provide three meals per day, following nutritional standards that include a carbohydrate and a vegetable. "They are receiving three meals a day," she said.
Milne described the site’s sanitation and maintenance protocols: the Safe Outdoor Space uses mobile restroom trailers, currently totaling 20 with two more being installed to reach 22; janitorial staff hired by Keys to Change clean restrooms six times per day, and the city and a third-party contractor recently tested shower trailers and found no mold. Milne also said staff reported vandalism and burn marks in some showers that may be mistaken for mold.
On water safety, Milne said the site offers two bottle-filling stations (one inside, one outside) plus bottled water at security and that filter replacements are on a frequent schedule; she said a red indicator light on a dispenser had malfunctioned but the filter date remained visible and the water remained safe to drink. Milne added the site has "roughly 250 individuals staying there" and that participation in the Safe Outdoor Space is voluntary; there are no 90-day stay requirements.
Milne said the Safe Outdoor Space operates as a short-term transitional option rather than permanent housing and reported a roughly 33% "positive exit rate"—defined as exits into housing or a safer indoor shelter. Council members thanked Milne and Keys to Change staff for their work and for the rapid responses to public concerns.
The motion to approve the vendor-list amendment was made by Vice Mayor Hodge Washington and seconded by Councilman O'Brien; the council recorded the roll call and the item passed on the recorded vote.
