A network of volunteers and area nonprofit organizations provide services, food, water, clothing and other necessities to people experiencing homelessness in Apache Junction.
But not shelter.
That could change with plans by a local health provider to renovate a single-family home in Apache Junction into a one-stop-shop for short-term housing of the unsheltered, potentially providing 130 individuals a year with help to find a home.
The individuals who are living in tents on the streets of the city of Apache Junction would benefit from having a local shelter, Chuck Kopecko, who spends winters just outside Goldfield Ghost Town north of the city, said.
“You see the homeless in Apache Junction — you know, they’re sleeping in the parks there. We see them every day when we go to town and that will help them folks,” he said.
Kopecko rides horses in the area north of State Route 88 and has seen trash strewn in the desert from individuals living there.
“The desert is being destroyed out there by all of the squatters and the homeless people out there,” he said. “We stopped going through there because we’ve been threatened and our horses have been scared and the places are just absolute trashed out there.”
The individuals living and littering on state or Bureau of Land Management land outside the city limits appear to be here for the long haul, he said.
“These people are loners,” he said. “These guys are going out there and they’ve got old motorhomes from the ‘70s with cardboard in the windows and they’re barely making it out there and they’re setting house out there.”
Pinal County statistics
A one day snapshot of individuals experiencing homelessness, called a point-in-time count, is used to calculate the number of people who are unsheltered, such as living in cars, parks, on sidewalks or other places.
The most recent point-in-time data available from the Pinal County Coalition to End Homelessness, which is not broken out into cities and towns, shows there were 315 individuals counted in the county last year:
244 “living in a place not meant for human habitation” on the night of Feb. 22, 2022 — unsheltered homeless; and
71 “living in an emergency shelter or transitional living program” on the night of Feb. 22, 2022 — sheltered homeless.
No data was collected in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020 there were a total of 84 people experiencing homelessness in Apache Junction — more than in any city in Pinal County, according to the most recent data available from the Arizona Department of Housing. For all of Pinal County, the total was 159, and the reasons individuals gave as to why they had been displaced ranged from unable to pay the rent or mortgage, to bad credit, loss of a job or eviction.
There were 69 people experiencing homelessness in 2019 in Apache Junction — again more than in any city in Pinal County, according to data at the Arizona Department of Housing website. For all of Pinal County that year, the total was 136.
Grant sought
A vacant home in Apache Junction would be renovated into a Horizon Health and Wellness shelter for homeless individuals with the help of a requested $363,000 grant. Horizon Health and Wellness has 13 offices in the Valley including at 625 N. Plaza Drive in Apache Junction.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors on March 15 voted unanimously on a consent agenda with other items to approve a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application for the Gila River Indian Community Shared Revenue Program and for Pinal County to serve as the fiscal agent.
There is no fiscal impact to Pinal County for the grant request. Proposition 202 requires nonprofits apply through a unit of local government. Pinal County will serve as the fiscal agent and pass-through entity, it states.
Proposition 202, passed with the 2002 gaming compact in Arizona, directs participating tribal governments to share 12% of their gaming revenues with surrounding local governments. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to compete with a local government agreeing to serve as a pass-through agent.
The nonprofit Horizon Health and Wellness plans to use the funds to renovate a vacant five-bedroom, five-bathroom house into a noncongregate shelter for individuals and families in Apache Junction and Florence, Mary Jo Silcox, Horizon Health and Wellness chief strategic initiatives officer, said in the application for the funds.
“The project would be able to house approximately 130 people per year, which in essence is removing 130 people off the streets into safe and secure housing. (Horizon Health and Wellness) currently owns the property and has a general contractor that is able to start the work immediately after receiving funding,” Silcox said. “It is projected that the renovations would take four-five months with the shelter being able to open and start operations within six months of funding.”
Horizon Health and Wellness has been involved in meetings and task forces such as the Pinal County Local Coalition to End Homelessness and the Pinal County Substance Wellness Coalition, she said.
“Homeless individuals are often living in the local parks, alleys, streets and often trespass on private property. Providing housing and support services to this population will help keep them off the streets. In addition, the support services will assist them not only with housing but also with benefits applications, getting into work programs and permanent housing solutions,” Silcox said.
‘Short-term solution’
Services at the planned Apache Junction homeless shelter would include assisting the individuals in transitioning to a permanent home, Silcox said.
“The planned shelter would be a short-term solution to individuals experiencing homelessness. (Horizon Health and Wellness) would then provide supportive services to the shelter residents and assist them into either transitional or permanent housing,” she said.
Gold Canyon resident Joe DeFazio — who believes more should be publicized about services available to people who are homeless, including ways in which the local government, individuals and local businesses can help — likes that the planned homeless shelter will help individuals find their own housing.
He offered to volunteer to help construct the shelter.
“(I)f this shelter is looking for volunteers to help with construction labor, I would certainly be happy to sign up,” he said.
“(T)he shelter is a great idea and a definite need. Hopefully it will be a transition facility and not just a temporary shelter. When I think of homeless transitioning to a new start on life I think of what I have done when job hunting. I list my experiences, my talents, my hobbies and try to match this with any job openings. I would imagine any homeless individual could use help getting that type of task completed,” DeFazio said.
The housing should be near employment opportunities, DeFazio said.
“Is the job opening a good fit? Can I get there on time every day? Is it in walking distance, bike distance or will I need transportation? Is this shelter located near any employment opportunities? And having someone to support in preparation, job hunting and perhaps even arrange and attend job interviews. I would hope for a transition shelter to provide help with these tasks,” he said. “Next I look at my appearance. I need a haircut, shave, clothes, dental care.”
Because there are fewer jobs available in Gold Canyon, the unincorporated Pinal County area would not be a good spot for a homeless shelter, DeFazio said,
“To answer the question, ‘should something like this be provided in Gold Canyon?’ I reluctantly would say ‘no.’ There aren’t any entry-level jobs in the Gold Canyon area. Very few jobs, period. So the shelter in Gold Canyon would be nothing more than a temporary shelter. It would be difficult to transition to employment. And certainly no affordable housing for them to transition into,” he said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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