TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe is gearing up to purchase and rehabilitate a second motel into a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Organizers of the project say it will provide up to 120 people with a place to stay.
The city first purchased a Rodeway Inn on Apache Boulevard in 2021, turning it into a 40-room shelter.
On Monday, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement to provide Tempe with $7.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to buy the motel. Tempe itself will provide an additional $3 million.
The project aims to provide as many as 60 shelter units through the renovated motel with roughly two people per shelter unit, Maricopa County said in a pre-written release.
The shelter is designed to accommodate a wide variety of demographics: Singles, couples, seniors, families with children, people with disabilities, and even pets.
Case management services are also available to people staying at the new shelter. Tempe's Community Health and Human Services aim to provide connections to city resources, longer-term shelter, and even potential employment through the Tempe Works job program, officials said.
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As of now, Tempe hasn't closed on a property so it's unclear where exactly this shelter will be located. Tempe aims to operate this second motel as a homeless shelter for the next 10 years, converting it to an alternative use as needed afterward.
The investment is one of several made in recent weeks by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in collaboration with cities around the Valley, as well as the Human Services Campus and St. Vincent de Paul. In total, more than $30 million is being poured into the regional issue of homelessness.
“Homelessness is a complex issue that requires a coordinated effort to address. By pooling our resources and working together, we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of those experiencing homelessness,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Jack Sellers, District 1.
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