Title
***ITEM CORRECTED (SEE ATTACHED MEMO)*** 2026 Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan - Citywide
Description
This report provides an overview and requests approval of the 2026 Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
Background
In 2020, the City of Phoenix released its Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan (STAHP), the first strategic plan dedicated to addressing homelessness. Since the 2020 plan adoption, significant progress was made in advancing the City’s homelessness response and finding innovative solutions to address homelessness. The work has led to meaningful progress, including expanding shelter and housing capacity, transforming its outreach approach, and improving service coordination. The creation of the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) was an important change that elevated Phoenix’s role from funder to direct service provider and regional leader. These efforts laid the groundwork for a more effective, responsive, and accountable system.
The strategic plan refresh (Attachment A) is designed to build on and strengthen these efforts. As the City builds on its progress, there is a growing need to focus on preventing homelessness before it occurs and increasing long-term, permanent solutions.
Plan Refresh Process
In November 2024, the City started the plan development process with Bloomberg Associates (BA), a philanthropic consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies. BA works with client cities to improve resident quality of life, taking an innovative, collaborative, and data-driven approach to make cities stronger, safer, and more efficient with a focus on equity. The plan development process began with reflecting on work accomplished, brainstorming, analyzing data, and developing initiatives to achieve the City’s vision relating to homelessness. Further, close to 50 individual interviews were conducted with Mayor and Council, neighborhood leaders, City staff, business owners, contracted partners, and the STAHP Task Force (neighborhood leaders, service providers, and homeless advocates) who created the 2020 plan. This plan development work resulted in the plan's vision and framework (Attachment B).
Community Engagement
To refine the plan, the team gathered input from stakeholders and system leaders. This included the STAHP Task Force, the Continuum of Care Lived Experience Workgroup, homeless system providers, and the public, all of whom have been critical in shaping the final recommendations. To further inform, engage the community, and develop a refreshed plan that responded to neighborhood concerns, various opportunities were developed to encourage internal and external stakeholders to provide feedback. Opportunities included the individual interviews mentioned above, public meetings, and an online survey.
The City hosted two public meetings in August 2025, one in person and one virtual. At each public meeting, Spanish interpretation was available. The public meetings were advertised through various electronic message distribution to neighborhood leaders, the City’s website, social media, and shared with Council offices. In addition to collecting comments during the meetings, the City hosted an online survey, offered in English and Spanish, at phoenix.gov/solutions. Through the survey, participants were provided the opportunity to review individual components of the plan and leave comments specific to each section. Over 600 participants completed the survey.
Additionally, many individuals sent emails, and spoke directly to staff, outlining their perspective and strategies for addressing homelessness in Phoenix. This report also includes an overview of the updates incorporated into the plan based on community feedback including service providers, neighborhood stakeholder groups, individuals with lived experience, and business community representatives.
Through engagement with the community, feedback regarding gaps, solutions, and priorities were offered. Many comments were about the general state of homelessness in the region, the need for more affordable housing, homeless prevention and behavioral health, and elements proposed in the draft plan. The information, collected through the feedback meetings and the public survey, has been incorporated into the plan. Key points and themes included:
Dedicated housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Increasing affordable and supportive housing.
New housing models that make it easier for individuals and families experiencing homelessness to find and rent housing.
Expanding access to mental/behavioral health and addiction treatment, including mandatory treatment.
Improving shelter quality and capacity, and the ability to help people move out of homelessness.
Shelter and housing for high-need individuals (individuals experiencing challenges with behavioral and/or physical health) and other tailored approaches based on needs (e.g., seniors, veterans, families, people with disabilities, substance users).
Homelessness prevention funding, including easily accessible funds and relocation assistance.
Prevention resources for individuals experiencing sheltered homelessness.
Better connections to paid job training and employment for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Simplify paperwork, reduce qualifications for assistance, and create more user-friendly access points for shelter and support services.
Proactive efforts to address crime and enforce laws, quick cleanup of encampments, designated task forces, and clear legal repercussions for repeat offenders.
Increase neighborhood outreach.
Improvements to PHX C.A.R.E.S.
Better coordination across City departments working to address homelessness.
Better collaboration among City departments, nonprofits, churches, and healthcare providers, as well as streamlined coordination and shared data systems to track progress and support individuals.
Enhanced education, commitment, and communication with neighborhoods.
Changing public perceptions about homelessness, fostering community empathy, and providing education on the true causes rather than perpetuating stereotypes.
Seeing data such as shelter metrics (occupancy, length of stay) and unsheltered population counts and changes.
Geographically scattered shelters, where people grew up or where they last had a home.
Address the issues of drug use and younger homeless individuals.
Vision and Goals
To address the complex issues of homelessness in the City of Phoenix and propose strategies to mitigate the effects on those experiencing homelessness as well as the neighborhoods affected by it, the following vision was developed. The vision will guide the activities of the City and OHS moving forward.
“No person in Phoenix should experience homelessness and no community should feel the negative effects of homelessness. The City of Phoenix will do everything in our ability to prevent homelessness when we can, make it brief when it happens, and keep people stable in housing with the supports they need.”
Five goals were identified in order to achieve this vision:
Decrease number of people who become homeless (Prevention).
Decrease number of people in an unsheltered situation or in shelter (Safety/Coordination).
Reduce length of time in shelter or in an unsheltered situation (Safety/Coordination).
Increase housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness (Housing).
Increase awareness and effectiveness of available services (Accountability).
Plan Strategies
The refreshed plan proposes strategies in the following five key focus areas that will guide the City in achieving its goals:
Prevention - Preventing people from becoming homeless.
Neighborhood Safety - Neighborhood safety and safety for people experiencing homelessness.
Coordination - Better coordination with other systems like behavioral health services and employment.
Housing - Dedicated housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
System Accountability - Improved accountability and transparency for City services and providers.
Next Steps
The City believes the proposed plan strategies form a collective effort in multiple focus areas to address the issues surrounding preventing homelessness, housing needs, coordination of services, mental health, and system accountability including the impacts on neighborhoods. Staff will continue to work with the community, service providers, and other stakeholders to address homelessness and will commit to updating on plan progress and achievements annually once implemented.
The Office of Homeless Solutions requests Council approval of the 2026 Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
These recommendations have been previously discussed at the Community Services and Education Subcommittee meeting held on October 22, 2025.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Homeless Solutions.