PHOENIX — It was a beautiful springtime day in Phoenix on Tuesday, but on the corner of 12th Avenue and Washington Street, the sights and sounds of spring quickly give way to life on the streets.
"What brought me here? I lost my job to COVID," said a man who called himself Chitown.
A man named Bless tells ABC15 he found "The Zone" when he stumbled into it.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Bless and Chitown lived in The Zone, a homeless encampment that stretches from 7th Avenue to 15th Avenue, between Grant and Van Buren streets.
The two men say they have worked with social service agencies that are dedicated to helping the homeless.
They are trying to escape.
"A lot of us are waiting for housing so we have the necessary documents. We've done the things they asked us to do," Chitown said.
An apartment with indoor plumbing and locks on the door remains elusive.
Now, the clock is ticking for how long the two men and the hundreds of others who live in The Zone have before they must leave.
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ordered the City of Phoenix to remove the encampment and enforce city and state laws against public camping, pollution, drug abuse, and violence.
"The most important part of the ruling is it takes away the city's excuse for failing to act," said Vice President of Legal Affairs for Goldwater Institute Timothy Sandefur.
Phoenix had taken the position that it cannot cite people for violating public camping laws because of a 9th Circuit Court decision saying a municipality cannot criminally cite people for sleeping on public property if they have nowhere else to go.
The judge said the city misinterpreted the ruling.
The reluctance to remove the homeless from The Zone left business owners and residents with no choice but to sue the city.
Judge Blaney will hear the case in July.
"Whatever happens needs to happen thoughtfully," said Stacey Champion who has worked with Phoenix's homeless population for 15 years.
Getting rid of the tents is one thing, Champion said. Repatriating the people who live in the Zone will be a challenge.
"I don't think people understand how long it takes, right? How long those wait lists are...there aren't places," Champion said.
The City of Phoenix has until July 10 to show it's complying with the court's order.
City officials have not said how they plan to do that.
"I see no reason why the city couldn't take steps to provide people with the services they need including drug or alcohol treatment. Or creating structured campgrounds as the judge said in his opinion," Sandefur said.
The residents and business owners who sued to get their neighborhood back are waiting to find out.
