More people experiencing homelessness in Tempe will be able to access shelter at a newly purchased motel, accelerating the pace at which individuals and families are helped off the streets and into more permanent housing solutions.

This is the city’s second motel purchase designed to meet the needs of unsheltered people and the broader Tempe community, a city release stated.

Leveraging funds from Maricopa County, city council recently approved the purchase of the 58-room Apache Inn along with an adjacent vacant lot to be used for future programming. The investment totaled nearly $10.7 million, with $7.3 million in county funds and the remainder from American Rescue Plan Act funds and other funding sources allocated to the city, according to the release.

The new shelter, near Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive, greatly increases resources for people in Tempe.

“Our goal in Tempe is to make homelessness rare, brief and one-time and that means continually enhancing and expanding our strategies,” Mayor Corey Woods stated in the release. “We have decreased homelessness by more than 30% in the past year and this new shelter will significantly bolster our efforts.”

The new shelter is expected to begin serving clients in early 2025 following improvements needed to transition it from a motel to a safe and secure location for unsheltered people. As part of Tempe’s investment, the city is using $500,000 in federal funds received through Congressman Greg Stanton’s office toward the purchase.

 “Mayor Woods and the Tempe City Council have made it a top priority to address homelessness, but meaningful action requires collaboration at every level of government,” Rep. Stanton stated in the release. “I was proud to go to bat in Washington to bring home half a million dollars to increase shelter options, a much-needed addition to our broader strategy to combat homelessness.”

In 2021, the city purchased a 40-room motel, now called Sue’s Espacio, located east of the Apache Inn and outfitted for double occupancy as needed.

Between Sue’s and the new shelter, as many as 98 rooms could be available to serve those in need, the release noted. 

Both are designed as non-congregate shelters, meaning residents stay in individual rooms rather than congregating in a large building with beds. The shelters are also intended as bridge shelters where people stay for a set period of time, such as 30 days. 

The city’s shelter residents work with case managers to access housing resolutions such as moving into their own apartment, reconnecting with family or moving to a longer-term shelter or treatment facility to address complex needs. Shelter residents are also connected to resources that can support their success, such as the city’s Tempe Works jobs program, healthcare or veteran services.

“Those wrap-around services are really vital for our residents. Providing a safe haven is our first priority but then we need to tailor resources to their individual needs as they plan for the future,” Community Health and Human Services Director Tim Burch stated in the release.

The new Apache Inn shelter, as well as the existing Sue’s Espacio, are designed to serve people experiencing homelessness in Tempe. The city also works with regional shelter partners to find the best fit for those in need.

Homeless solutions

In the city of Tempe’s latest community survey, residents said homelessness was their top priority, according to the release. Investments and innovations in homeless solutions support not only city programs and services but also the work of community partners through grants and collaborations.

As a result of this strategic work, the city has:

• Reduced homelessness by more than 30% and chronic homelessness by approximately 39%, according to city and regional data points;
• Assisted nearly 1,600 people off the streets and into more permanent housing resolutions in the past two years;
• Expanded the Tempe Works jobs program with new employment partnerships to put more people to work;
• Enhanced resources by establishing the 24/7 CARE & HOPE Line at 480-350-8004 where people can get help for themselves or others in crisis. In the past two years, approximately 10,200 calls have come in and more than 5,100 have been related to homelessness; and
• Convened an outreach collaborative with more than a dozen providers serving Tempe to ensure the best service delivery for unsheltered residents.

Learn more about Tempe’s homelessness solutions at www.tempe.gov/government/community-health-and-human-services/housing-services/ending-homelessness.