APACHE JUNCTION, AZ — A group in Pinal County says the number of people experiencing homelessness is on the rise and there aren't enough resources to help them.
The Genesis Project serves hot meals, gives out clothes, toiletries and coordinates community resources for people in need.
“These are unsheltered neighbors. These are community members. These are residents of these areas,” said director Trinity Frey
When the Bureau of Land Management announced the closure of more than 1,000 public acres along State Route 88, the Genesis Project became a go-to for many homeless people who frequently camped at the site.
“We’ve worked with those individuals,” Frey said. “Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of solutions in Pinal County.”
Frey says the housing struggles go beyond desert campsites, but rather a larger need for shelter and transitional housing in Pinal County.
“Apache Junction specifically, we do not have a homeless shelter,” Frey said. “We have a lot of open land. We don’t have public transportation. We utilize the resources we have to the very best of our abilities, but you can only utilize the resources that you do have, so when those resources aren’t available, there aren’t answers.”
Frey says in the latest Point in Time Count in Apache Junction this year, she noted 163 people experiencing homelessness, a nearly 80% increase in one year.
The Pinal County Housing Department posts regular openings for affordable housing applications here as well as additional resources for individuals struggling.
