Local
Phoenix-area shelter backlog leaves families waiting up to eight weeks
UMOM reports 173 families on its shelter waitlist, with placements taking six to eight weeks. A local nonprofit is using donated funds to put dozens of families in Valley hotel rooms while they wait.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Families facing homelessness in the Phoenix area may wait six to eight weeks for a shelter placement, leaving nonprofits to find temporary alternatives as demand outpaces available space.
UMOM, which operates the Arizona Housing Hub and is the state’s largest provider serving families experiencing homelessness, had 173 families on its waitlist on a recent Monday, said Ashley Oakley, the organization’s chief development officer. The organization has 175 private units and offers services including job training and a wellness clinic.
Oakley said UMOM is seeking funding to expand its shelter capacity, potentially by adding units on its campus. The current wait means there is no immediate shelter option for some families on their first day without housing, she said.
AZ Hugs, a nonprofit run by Austin Davis, is trying to fill part of that gap with hotel stays. As of a recent Friday night, the group had placed 60 families in hotel rooms, including more than 40 families at one location, Davis said. Donations through GoFundMe pay for the rooms, which may otherwise be the families’ only alternative to sleeping outside.
Vanessa Grisham and her son Daniel are among those staying in a Tempe motel. Grisham said she left her former fiancé in early June because the situation had become dangerous. With no car and no plan, she called 211 to learn about housing resources and eventually connected with the Arizona Housing Hub, but assistance was not immediate.
“It’s stressful. My anxiety goes to the roof, and then I feel like I don’t know what to do,” Grisham said. She said she is determined to find a safer, permanent home for herself and her son.
Davis described the growing wait and limited shelter capacity as a system unable to meet the current need. He said he has urged Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency over homelessness. Davis also continues to provide nightly meals in parks, though Tempe requires a special permit for park food sharing, he said.
City and county programs, including the Arizona Housing Hub, work to connect families with housing, but the backlog shows how far current resources fall short. For families in the queue, hotel rooms and temporary stays can offer a short-term refuge; advocates say expanding shelter capacity and funding is necessary to provide a more lasting option.