TEMPE, Ariz. — The Tempe City Council has approved plans to purchase a 58-room motel and convert it into a homeless shelter.
Last week, the council agreed to spend about $10 million on the Apache Inn property near Smith Road and Apache Boulevard. The city intends to transform the property into a safe space for people experiencing homelessness.
Tempe officials plan to run the shelter, which could be in operation by early 2025, as a "bridge" facility where residents only stay for a set period of time.
The residents then work with case managers to transition into permanent housing.
The property was purchased by utilizing funds from the Maricopa County and the American Rescue Plan Act. The purchase agreement includes the city buying a vacant lot located next to the motel, which may be used for expanding the shelter.
Other motels around Arizona have been recently bought with the intention of converting them into shelters for people experiencing extreme poverty.
Catholic Charities Communities Services obtained funding last year to buy a motel on Route 66 in Kingman. The Mesa City Council approved plans last November to convert a 70-room hotel into a shelter.
In 2021, Tempe bought a 40-room motel and turned it into a shelter.
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