By Delarita Ford | Your Valley
There is no disputing the need for temporary housing, but there was a dispute about how to properly address the issue as some elected Scottsdale officials point to a convoluted problem.
This conversation was prompted by a newly-formed East Valley coalition consisting of representatives of the state of Arizona, Maricopa County, Valleywise Health, and the cities of Scottsdale, Mesa, and Tempe regarding possible solutions and programs to address homelessness in the East Valley.
Although temporary housing and addressing the overall issue of homelessness was the official agendized topic, one council member took issue with artist renderings of a “high-rise homeless shelter.”
The concern was refuted as there are no concrete plans to build any such structure at this point, officials said.
Scottsdale Mayor David D. Ortega made a motion to address homelessness as a collective and develop a framework to construct a model to address the matter.
The motion carried 6-1 with council member Linda Milhaven dissenting, during an Aug. 26 City Council meeting.
