PHOENIX — Central Phoenix, Downtown, South Phoenix, and Laveen are all areas within Phoenix City Council District 8, which is about to get a new leader.
Councilmember-elect Kesha Hodge Washington will take her oath of office on April 17. Before she takes on her new role, ABC15 sat down with her to find out what her mission is and spoke with people who live in the district where one issue more than anything else rose to the top: affordable and attainable housing.
New data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development is shining a light on Arizona's growing homeless problem. ABC15 Data Expert Garrett Archer dove deeper last week to crunch the numbers from HUD's latest survey, showing Arizona has 13,553 homeless people currently.
Jessica Vargas knows it's an issue, too.
"It's a struggle here," Vargas said. But it's not just because Jessica sees it - she's also living it.
"I can't afford a home. I'm living out of my car. "
Vargas said she's currently working as a clerk at a Valley gas station but is living paycheck to paycheck and it's not enough to keep a roof over her head.
Vargas thinks there needs to be more affordable housing options and resources.
"There are not that many resources here in Arizona. I've lived here all my life. And the resources since COVID went down. Trying to get to a shelter is extremely hard. Trying to get into low-income housing is extremely hard because we are so full, we don't have enough."
Vargas is far from the only one in her current situation.
"We do have a segment of the population that works hard and they still can't afford a basic place to stay in our city," explained Councilmember-elect Hodge Washington. "That's actually one of the reasons why I got into the race. I do some landlord-tenant disputes pro bono. I am a lawyer by trade. I was surprised to see the number of individuals who were one or two incidents away from homelessness."
So how does Hodge Washington plan to tackle the problem?
"I think it requires a variety of solutions. There's not just one. I think with the magnitude of the problem, we need to consider repurposing and reinvesting in more city buildings, into emergency or transitional homes. We need to do that on an emergency basis. We can invest in more modular facilities that can be constructed in a quicker manner. We need to be creative. Are there any other inter-governmental agreement we can enter into with cities and towns to help us match or meet the needs of our city?"
Part of that plan could include having designated areas where Hodge Washington says people can get showers, food, or other basic resources.
"There's the old adage of 'not in my backyard.' People may be resistant to having those resources here," ABC15's Nick Ciletti said. "What would you say to that?"
"I can understand the reluctance, but we have to do what's in the best interest for all members of our society and all members of Phoenix and those individuals are residents of Phoenix and they deserve better," Hodge Washington replied.
Another part of the puzzle is surging rent and home prices. According to data from Zillow, the median home price in Arizona has almost doubled over the past five years, although prices have been dropping in recent months. For many, it's still not enough.
"What are you hoping to see?" Ciletti asked resident Tanner Pratt.
"I think a little bit more affordable housing would be nice," Pratt said. "We've seen where prices have gone. Living in town here for the last few years. It's put a pinch on a lot of people."
Hodge Washington agrees, acknowledging that Phoenix is becoming more and more expensive for all of us.
"Housing prices and rent prices continue to grow exponentially," she said. "The affordability was one thing that drew me to the city, but now that's kind of shifting that narrative and someone needs to help - not right the ship - but bring it back to more reasonable."
And Phoenix is certainly in demand right now, especially from the business community eyeing the Valley as a place to set up shop.
"I think we have a lot of opportunities with businesses coming in with Phoenix becoming the semiconductor capital of the U.S.," Hodge Washington said about our economy. "I think we can bring in those businesses and vendors into the neighborhoods where they are needed the most...I think neighborhoods should be where we live, work, and play and there are some where we don't have all three. That would be my goal when we talk about business development."
"I think some people worry the city is growing too fast. Are there too many businesses moving in? How would you balance it?" Ciletti asked.
"I think like anything else change is something you get resistance to. You get the majority to get on board when you feel you can participate in the change and it won't negatively affect them. It's about determining the barriers and addressing them…giving them assurances they won't be ignored."
Kesha Hodge Washington will take her oath of office on April 17.
ABC15 reached out to a number of resource providers on Jessica's behalf. If you or someone you know is struggling, click here to be connected to resources and to read up on what the city is currently doing.
