Homelessness was a significant local issue in the last election, and even though there is far less of it than most other cities in America, some of the more conservative candidates used it very deftly to their advantage. A centerpiece of that was Scottsdale’s “homeless hotel”, where an old hotel was used to house a couple handfuls of homeless women and children.
Scottsdale’s new iteration of city council has wasted little time in acting on its campaign promises, and the newest case of this is related to the homeless hotel…it is officially no more, as the “homeless hotel” is officially closed for business.
The Independence 47 Hotel in Scottsdale was part of a “bridge housing” program to address local homelessness by providing temporary shelter in hotel rooms. This initiative primarily served seniors over 62 and families with minor children who have recently lost housing within Scottsdale. Notably, individuals experiencing chronic homelessness or those with disabling conditions were not eligible for this program.
Funding for the program came from a $940,000 grant provided by the Arizona Department of Housing. In September 2023, the Scottsdale City Council approved a $499,933 contract with the Independence 47 Hotel to continue offering 10 rooms for this purpose through September 2024.
City officials, including Mayor David Ortega, have defended the program, emphasizing its focus on assisting local residents in need and highlighting the absence of police incidents related to the program. However, concerns were raised about the lack of notification to paying hotel guests regarding the presence of program participants. In response, State Representative Matt Gress proposed legislation requiring hotels to disclose such information to guests. Instead of renewal of the program, the homeless will now be housed in Phoenix instead.
This move won’t make a material change in the lives of any Scottsdalians, but it is indicative of a rightward shift in Scottsdale governance. Voters decided to take their preference for more conservative leadership at the national level and superimposed it to the local level. With that we get a clear indicator of what we can expect until at least 2027: the unwinding of most of anything that the previous iteration of council accomplished and more traditionally conservative leadership.