PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Phoenix’s largest homeless services hub just announced that it has to reduce its overnight shelter capacity by more than 100 beds. Keys to Change officials said this is due to the COVID-19 federal funding running out, which is leaving them high and dry.
Over the last five years, the organization has helped provide shelter for more than 900 people per night with overflow shelter spaces. “We started putting mats on the floor of our Lodestar Day Resource Center and worked in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul to use their dining room every night to put mats on the floor,” said Amy Schwabenlender, CEO of Keys to Change.
These overflow spaces offered an additional 280 beds. But at the beginning of June, the organization had to get rid of 110 beds. “Anytime you lose shelter capacity when you haven’t really reduced overall homelessness, it’s detrimental because it puts more people at greater risk,” Schwabenlender said…