The Phoenix City Council has approved a sweeping new roadmap to address homelessness, building on progress made in recent years and responding directly to community input. The updated Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness outlines a five-year vision to prevent, reduce, and ultimately end homelessness in the city by 2029.
Mayor Kate Gallego said the plan represents both reflection and renewal. “By working closely with our partners and the community, we’re building a more responsive system that meets people where they are and helps them move forward,” Gallego said.
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington called the strategy “a bold step forward,” emphasizing the need to maintain momentum. “Our commitment must remain unwavering because lives depend on it,” she said.
Since launching its first homelessness plan in 2020 and establishing the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) in 2022, Phoenix has added more than 1,200 new shelter beds and 300 spaces at the Safe Outdoor Space site. The city has also shifted from primarily funding services to directly providing them—an approach officials say has improved accountability and outcomes.
The updated plan centers around five focus areas:
Prevention: Expanding early intervention and housing-focused services to reduce the number of people entering homelessness.
Neighborhood Safety: Strengthening coordinated enforcement while improving access to shelter and outreach.
Coordination: Embedding specialists across outreach and shelter teams to better connect residents with behavioral health and employment services.
Housing: Increasing affordable and supportive housing options through data-driven planning and sustainable funding.
System Accountability: Ensuring transparency across city services through cross-department collaboration and real-time data reporting.
Several initiatives are already underway, including a real-time dashboard developed with Arizona State University Luminosity Lab to track open shelter beds, new prevention funding to keep families housed, and a Rapid Exit Pilot to move people more quickly from shelters into permanent housing.
With this plan, city leaders say Phoenix is doubling down on its commitment to compassionate, results-oriented solutions—striving for a future where no one in the city experiences homelessness, and no community bears its lasting effects.
You can read the full plan here.
