1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

As a deeply concerned resident of Phoenix, I’m writing to urge your leadership at a critical moment for our city. The homelessness crisis has reached historic levels—and now, a federal executive order threatens to worsen it. On July 24, former President Trump signed Ending Vagrancy and Restoring Order, an executive order that encourages cities to forcibly remove unhoused individuals from public spaces and relocate them to treatment centers, often against their will. It prioritizes funding for jurisdictions that penalize urban camping, loitering, and public drug use—while undermining proven housing-first approaches. This direction is deeply troubling. It criminalizes poverty and illness, strips away civil liberties, and ignores decades of research showing that stable housing and access to healthcare—not punishment—are the most effective paths out of homelessness. Phoenix is already at a tipping point: • 9,734 people in Maricopa County are experiencing homelessness—the highest number ever recorded. • Nearly 5,000 individuals are unsheltered, living in parks, cars, and other uninhabitable spaces. • Unsheltered homelessness rose by 28% from last year, while sheltered options dropped by 16% following the expiration of federal funding for 1,000 beds. • Tragically, more than 600 unhoused individuals died from extreme heat over the last two summers. Meanwhile, the cost of housing continues to soar: • While the Housing Phoenix Plan generated 53,000 new units, only 22% are considered affordable. • To rent a two-bedroom apartment at today’s market rate ($1,950/month), a household must earn nearly $78,000/year—far beyond what many in our community can afford. • Over 239,000 metro Phoenix households are severely cost-burdened, spending more than half their income on housing. And the strain extends to healthcare: • Arizona faces the largest nursing shortage in the country, with a deficit of 28,100 nurses by the end of 2025. • Emergency rooms are overflowing, and vulnerable populations are experiencing dangerous delays in care. Mayor Gallego, Phoenix needs compassionate and effective solutions—not policies that criminalize survival. I urge you to: • Oppose enforcement tactics that punish homelessness or mental illness. • Expand permanent supportive housing and restore shelter capacity. • Invest in medical services tailored to the needs of our unhoused neighbors. • Support community-driven programs that foster stability, dignity, and recovery. Let’s make Phoenix a leader in smart, humane urban policy. I—and many others—stand ready to support bold leadership that reflects the best of our city.