Tempe has acquired a second motel to provide housing for homeless individuals.
The 58-room Apache Inn, located near Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive, was purchased to offer housing and additional resources aimed at supporting the unsheltered population, according to city officials.
The city acquired the inn along with an adjacent vacant lot for future development. The total investment was nearly $10.7 million, with $7.3 million coming from county funds and the rest from the American Rescue Plan Act and other city funding sources, according to the city of Tempe.
“Our goal in Tempe is to make homelessness rare, brief and one-time and that means continually enhancing and expanding our strategies,” said Mayor Corey Woods in a press release. “We have decreased homelessness by more than 30% in the past year and this new shelter will significantly bolster our efforts.”
The new shelter is expected to open in early 2025 following remodeling it from a motel to safe housing. Part of the funding included the use of $500,000 in federal funds received through Congressman Greg Stanton’s office.