The city of Phoenix has successfully helped more than 500 people find beds and shelters in motels who were previously staying in a massive downtown homeless encampment.
The action from the city came on the final day of a court-ordered deadline. At the site, hundreds of tents had lined blocks of streets with people walking around or pushing shopping carts filled with their belongings.
The site had been nicknamed “The Zone” by those in the city, according to a report from The New York Times.
Eventually, it was decided that something needed to be done about the site, and city workers began clearing the area in the spring.
Workers focused a block at a time, offering those at the encampment a place to sleep indoors, at emergency shelters, temporary stays at motels, and longer-term transitional housing for older people.
The city shared that over the course of several months, 718 people were offered help in finding shelter, with 585 accepting placement.
Once the 15 blocks were cleared, it was cleaned by city workers and then closed off to camping.
The city shared in a statement that it has also since opened a city parking lot that was rezoned to allow homeless people to pitch tents in a safer and more controlled area.
So far, 21 people have begun staying at the site, which has portable restrooms and showers, meal service, property storage, security, and a resident code of conduct.
Among the rules that residents will have to follow include not having drugs, alcohol, or fires. There is also no camping allowed on the sides of the property.
There is now a Nov. 30 hearing scheduled to verify that Phoenix has complied with the November deadline set by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney.
“While the City has met this court deadline, there is still work to be done,” the city said in a statement. “The goal remains to ensure that every person has access to safe housing and services while preserving quality of life in our neighborhoods for all residents.”