The Stats
Phoenix had the largest number of people experiencing homelessness with 3,096. Mesa and Glendale followed, with 451 and 406 respectively. Guadalupe, Sun City and Glendale saw the largest percentage increases in people experiencing homelessness between 2020 and 2022. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/03/11/metro-phoenix-street-homelessness-increases-33-percent-2020/7003478001/. The Maricopa Association of Governments released new numbers on Friday, which show the number of people without a home has climbed by 35% since 2020. More than 5,000 people are experiencing homeless as of Jan. 25. Phoenix has nearly 3,100 homeless people in 2022, up from 771 in 2014. https://www.azfamily.com/2022/03/11/phoenix-area-sees-35-rise-homelessness-new-numbers-broken-down-by-neighborhood/.
Causes of Homelessness – Not Always What You Think
Asked for a general explanation of why they were homeless, most statewide respondents cited economic reasons (75 percent) followed by family issues (45 percent) and health reasons (37 percent).
As of January 2020, Arizona had an estimated 10,979 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) /https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/az.
What Can We Do?
There Are 7 Practical Ways You Can Help People Experiencing Homelessness
- Make cards to promote nearby shelters.
- Donate clothes, especially socks.
- Volunteer your time.
- Fundraise.
- Research your local candidates.
- Participate in your city’s Point-in-Time count.
- Remember youth homelessness.
Remember, we could all be just one sickness away from homelessness.
By Chrystal Allen-O’Jon
