The ACLU of ArizonaIt is suing Phoenix to stop the city from sweeping a large homeless encampment in downtown Phoenix. They claim that it has caused displacement and damaged identification documents and other belongings.
According to the ACLU, it filed the complaint Wednesday night at the U.S. District Court of Arizona. This was in an attempt to stop the possible resumption by the city in December of sweeps that were suspended at the beginning of 2022.
“Invest in sustainable alternatives to the housing crisis instead of focusing on it head-on. Solutions to homelessness“The City is terrorizing people it should help,” the complaint reads.
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Phoenix stated that it was unable to comment on specific claims as it had not received a copy by Thursday midday.
Dan Wilson, a city spokesperson, outlined the strategies Phoenix has used to combat homelessness. He also highlighted the commitment of almost $50 million in the fiscal year for solutions like shelters and more affordable housing. Mental health services. He claimed that 592 more beds were added to the homeless shelters in 2022.
This latest federal complaint is part of a tug-of war between advocates and cities across Western states regarding how to address homelessness.
Phoenix previously conducted sweeps three days a week. It dispatched city workers with police officers and sometimes did so in the middle of the night without warning. Many people have said that they lost paperwork, medicine and other belongings — even the cremated remains of a loved one — because they weren’t nearby or couldn’t rescue their things in time.
Phoenix claimed earlier that the sweeps were made to ensure safety and health for camp residents.
On Aug. 5, 2020, a large homeless camp was seen in Phoenix, Arizona.
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
An earlier lawsuit was filed by a group representing residential and business neighbors from “The Zone”, asking Phoenix to declare this encampment a public nuisance. The city moved against the dismissal of that lawsuit, claiming it didn’t have a duty under the Constitution to protect property of those who were suing.
An annual count revealed that Phoenix had more than 6000 people experiencing homelessness in January. Nearly half of those living on the streets were unsheltered.
Politicians and many West-state residents are becoming increasingly critical of street homelessness. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is the former mayor of San Francisco. He supports clearing out tent encampments and says it is neither safe nor compassionate to allow people to live outside.
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But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that it’s unconstitutional to cite or arrest people for sleeping in public when there is no shelter available.
California has the largest number of homeless in the country at 161,000, making sweeps controversial.
Late September saw homeless advocates and San Francisco city officials sue the city to stop harassing and dismantling the belongings of those living on the streets.
One notable incident occurred in Los Angeles last year when a large encampment, which had grown during the pandemic, was removed from a park just outside downtown. It caused a massive March 2021 protest, which resulted to the arrest of over 180 people, including two independent journalists.
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On Wednesday, Portland City Council members took a different approach and allocated $27 million for a network of camping areas designated for homeless people.
Three neighborhood groups refused to sign a “good neighbourhood agreement” with Albuquerque. They said they wanted to see firsthand the potential effects of a 50-bed shelter for women homeless.
CaliforniaNewsom has put a halt to $1 billion of state budget going directly to local governments. Newsom said local plans to tackle homelessness are inadequate and that he wants to reset the state’s approach before his second term.
