Phoenix churches being asked to step up, provide emergency shelters for homeless

By Jason Barry

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    PHOENIX (KTVK, KPHO) — There are a lot of people living on the street around downtown Phoenix. Brandon Gilmore is the senior pastor at the Central United Methodist Church. He says rising rent prices and inflation have led to a significant increase in Phoenix’s homeless population. “We’re seeing a lot of people on the verge of retirement, all of a sudden going into homelessness,” said Gilmore. “Losing homes and things through Covid, how Covid really affected people being on that margin.”

The issue has turned so bad that some shelters have had to turn people away because they don’t have enough room. But some temporary help is on the way. The Phoenix City Council approved $931,000 to provide emergency shelters at Phoenix churches.

It’s part of a new partnership the city has created with Lutheran Social Services, a nonprofit group devoted to helping the homeless get jobs, health care and permanent housing. Connie Phillips is the president of Luthern Social Services. Their Homeless Emergency Lodging Program is set up where each participating church agrees to shelter 10 to 12 people a night, once every few weeks.

Individuals receive a hot meal and shower and are connected to essential services that can help them improve their lives. “People experiencing homelessness have been ignored all day,” said Phillips. “People walk past them, through them, judge them, so when they come into a house of worship and a volunteer greets them and looks them in the eye and says I am glad you are here, how was your day, it restores dignity.”

Pastor Gilmore hasn’t been asked to sign up for the Homeless Lodging Program but has already said to count his church in. He hopes others do the same. “It is uncomfortable to have people experiencing homelessness and their issues,” said Gilmore. “If there’s any place that people should go to get help they need, it should be the church.”

According to Phillips, the homeless lodging program has been highly successful with churches in other cities like Mesa, Glendale, Surprise and Goodyear. The hope is it will have an even bigger impact in Phoenix when it gets going in a few months.

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