Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., who represents the Ninth Congressional District where Tempe is located, presented the city with a check for $500,000 on April 14 outside of the Roadway Inn, which Tempe purchased in 2021 to use as transitional housing.
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Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., who represents the Ninth Congressional District where Tempe is located, presented the city with a check for $500,000 on April 14 outside of the Roadway Inn, which Tempe purchased in 2021 to use as transitional housing.
Stanton, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmembers Doreen Garlid and Lauren Kuby, among others, toured the motel at 2101 E. Apache Blvd, which is being used as a non-congregate shelter for those experiencing homelessness. The additional funding will help the city buy a second existing hotel with up to 60 rooms to provide shelter, support from Tempe’s human services staff and eventually transition to more permanent housing.
This funding was part of $9.9 million that Stanton secured for local projects across his district in the FY2022 government funding package.
Woods said the model represented by the Roadway Inn is making progress in alleviating the growing homelessness issue in Tempe.
“Combined, we can serve as many as 200 people who need temporary shelter, while we help them get access to social services, like job training, reconnect with family, get medical or mental health care and ultimately find permanent housing,” he said during the event. “This hotel to housing model absolutely works.”
The annual Maricopa Association of Governments Point-in-Time count on Jan. 25 counted approximately 384 unsheltered people living in Tempe and a total of 5,029 unhoused people in Maricopa County.
Woods added that over 50 people have been helped at the old motel since Dec. 26 alone, and another 20 were assisted with housing. In addition to the 40 rooms at the Roadway Inn, the city leases another 55 elsewhere for transitional housing.
He thanked Stanton for bringing federal funding back to Tempe to aid its Hometown for All initiative.
“We had no doubt that he would do everything possible to bring this home for Tempe,” said Woods. “And, of course, bring it home for Tempe he does. He's been a long time and tireless advocate for supporting our city, our region and our state to make the lives of Arizonans better. We are truly grateful for his partnership.”
Stanton spoke at the event just after Jutoria Jackson, who temporarily lived at the motel with her husband and four children after they were evicted from their home when the rent was raised. After a month at the Roadway Inn, Jackson and her family are now living in a three-bedroom home with a backyard. Prior to finding their way to the motel, the six had been living out of their car.
“The reason I am passionate about this issue is because we're Americans, we like a great comeback story,” said Stanton. “People go through highs in their lives, we go through lows in our lives, we all know, but for the grace of God, any of us could be in the situation Victoria found her and her family in.”
He said the funds he secured are Tempe’s taxpayer dollars, and he was glad it was going to such a worthy cause.
“I'm excited today that to have played a small part in bringing home your tax dollars back home to Tempe and that this Mayor and council have made this particular issue, this model of success, their highest priority,” said Stanton. “This money that we're announcing here today, it's building on the millions of dollars that were delivered in the Cares Act, it was immediately provided by monies in the American Rescue Plan. I'm proud to say that that money is being put to use for good for people right here in Tempe.”
Lindsay is a Phoenix native and is thrilled to be reporting in her hometown.
After spending several years in advertising after college, she switched gears and graduated with her master’s degree in journalism at Arizona State University in 2019.
When she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading a book or playing with her family’s dogs.
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