It is becoming clear that homelessness is increasing at a substantial rate across the entire nation and many communities attempting to take action are finding it difficult to balance a simple “clean-up” approach with a broader, big-picture undertaking of the issue.

Fountain Hills is no different. When the Town Council meets on Tuesday, Aug. 22, there are several items on the agenda designed to address specific issues related to homelessness. There are three items designed to address urban camping, solicitation and pedestrians in the roadway. There are some people in Fountain Hills that would appear to be homeless and this past spring there was a reported campsite on the State Trust Land near the Middle School. An individual reported to be living at the site was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies on an unrelated warrant. The arrest took place in town, away from the campsite.

The council agenda is tentative at this time. The agenda information packets are normally posted by Fridays the week prior to the meeting. However, law allows that agendas can be revised up to, and must be posted, 24 hours prior to the meeting time, 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Local issues

By most standards, issues related to homelessness for Fountain Hills are relatively minor. A spot census taken by Maricopa County in January reported only a couple of homeless individuals in town. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has reported that it can attribute no criminal activity to people experiencing homelessness, although officials note the MCSO reporting structures are not geared toward obtaining that specific information.

In Maricopa County the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), of which Fountain Hills is a member, developed the Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care to address homelessness. The Solari Homeless Information Management System (HIMS) collects and analyzes data on the issue. “For March 2023, there was a total of 8,188 homeless clients in 6,282 households (in Maricopa County).” According to the HIMS Homelessness Trends Report: January – March 2023.

The system also monitors client services and as of March there were 3,374 in emergency shelters in Maricopa County, a 34% increase over March 2022. The number in transitional housing (806) was unchanged from a year earlier. There were 1,465 in rapid re-housing programs, which is up 13% over March 2022. The number in permanent supportive housing was 5,571 in March, a 5% increase over the year before.

A recent survey of Arizona residents by the Cicero Institute indicates substantial awareness of issues related to homelessness. That survey shows that 78% of those surveyed in the state believe homelessness is on the increase.

“This is an emerging issue where Arizonans are looking for solutions…” said Cicero Action Executive Director Bryan Sunderland. “This is both a public safety and a humanitarian issue…this challenge (can be) an opportunity for lasting change.”

Affordability

According to a study from the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University, there are several widely used policies that can increase access to and the affordability of housing, but there are obstacles to this in Arizona.

“Many of these tools are preempted or limited by Arizona law,” the report states. “These tools include inclusionary zoning, rent control/rent stabilization, short-term rental regulation and financing structures that can increase the supply of affordable housing, provide stabilization for the market and add additional units.”

The Morrison report addresses the pros and cons of each of these tools with options for addressing solutions.

According to a separate Morrison Institute report related to how historical factors, including segregation, have impacted housing affordability. “Homeownership today costs six to eight times an individual’s income,” the report states. “In the 1930s, homeownership cost just two times an individual’s income. Despite the change in cost, homeownership is still more financially beneficial in most parts of the country than renting.

“The construction of affordable housing is quite costly. Furthermore, no single entity is responsible for constructing affordable housing; it often takes the government, developers, and investors coming together to make it work. Despite its cost and complexity, creating more affordable rental housing allows more people to save money that can be put toward a down payment. On the homeownership side, building more affordable starter homes will enable individuals to enter the market and begin building wealth through homeownership.”

Morrison Institute for Public Policy reports are available at morrisoninstitute.asu.edu.