PHOENIX — The clock is ticking for the City of Phoenix to clean up ‘The Zone.’
As of now, all tents and belongings must be out by July 10, and as the date nears more people living there are warming up to the idea of being housed somewhere else.
“It’s not paradise, but it’s a place where we can all gather and we all know each other,” said Charles Sanders.
Sanders has called ‘The Zone’ home for the last four years, and now that the clean-up has started, he doesn’t know where he’ll end up.
“Where are they going to put us? I mean, they want us to go make a new zone?” Sanders told ABC15.
'The Zone' is a seven-block-long, five-block-wide homeless encampment located just west of the downtown area. As many as 1,000 people live there at any given time.
“This place has grown more violent over the last two years,” added Sanders.
Last week the City of Phoenix began the first phase of clearing ‘The Zone’ block by block.
Some of Sander’s friends’ belongings were wiped out in the process. “There were two people, and they went over to that new shelter over on 22nd or whatever it is. They said it’s alright,” said Sanders.
Maricopa County recently announced $7.3M will go to Tempe for the purchase of the Apache Inn, a 60-room inn that will be able to house up to 120 homeless people.
“I’ll accept that as long as I can have her. Shelters won’t let me have her,” said Sanders, while holding his dog.
The new shelter in Tempe is said to allow pets.
Last week Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix also announced $6,250,000 plans to use a hotel near Sky Harbor as a temporary shelter.
The hotel would provide housing to 460 people who experience homelessness as well.
Both cities are also pitching in to complete the work in their respective projects.
Melissa Valles, who has lived in ‘The Zone’ on and off for the last 10 years, says this is a step in the right direction.“
If they gave a shelter for everyone, that would be the best thing,” said Valles.
So far there’s no word on how long it’ll take to get the shelters up and running, until then, Sanders says he’s going to do what he has for the last four years.
“We gotta do what we gotta do to survive,” she added.
