By Matthew Holloway |

Striking a blow against the blight of homelessness in the state that has reached epidemic proportions in the Arizona Capitol, the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously (8-0) across party lines to ban sleeping, camping, or preparing food outdoors within 500 feet of any school, park, day care center, or homeless shelters in the city. Violation of the new ordinance could result in a Class 3 misdemeanor charge, a fine of $100, and up to 30 days in jail with up to one year unsupervised probation which is a reduction from a Class 1 misdemeanor under a previous city ordinance that applied exclusively to city-owned buildings, parks, and parking lots. Under the law, 12News reported that “camping” is defined as using a property for “sleeping, storage, making fires, cooking activities or setting up tents.”

Republican Councilwoman and Chair of the Public Safety Committee Ann O’Brien explained the ordinance which she proposed in a statement, “It’s so our community members can feel safer going to their parks, and those receiving services have a higher chance of success by not being surrounded by encampments.”

In a post to X, she noted that the new ordinance is a part of her “Homeless Plan put out 11mo ago.” She noted that “To date, over 50% of my ideas are in progress or have been implemented.”

As recently as April, this reporter can provide a first hand account of a large group of homeless people encamped at La Pradera Park on 39th Avenue a few hundred feet from Global Academy of Phoenix Middle School, and Catalina Ventura Elementary School, both in the Alhambra School District. Fox News reported a similar scene at Griffith Elementary School in Pierce Park in Phoenix where two young girls played soccer, flanked on either side by homeless men sleeping on makeshift beds.

O’Brien continued in her statement saying, “This is a tool that helps us sometimes get them into services, right? Community court. Not everybody always says yes to services, but this might help us to hold folks accountable with our laws.”

Phoenix Mayor, Democrat Kate Gallego told 12News that it isn’t safe for individuals to be living in these areas and that Phoenix will continue assisting the homeless with social services. Other members of the city council emphatically stated that the ordinance isn’t intended to criminalize the homeless.

“This is so no child must walk past a line of tents on their way to school or play on a playground with tents pressed up against their school fence. It’s so our community members can feel safer going to our parks and so those who are receiving services have a higher chance of success by not being surrounded by those encampments,” O’Brien added.

Democrat Councilmember Laura Pastor who approved the ordinance expressed her concerns that it would be difficult to enforce, or could set homeless people to cycle through the criminal justice system. “I feel like we’re putting something in the book to put something in the books and there’s no true enforcement and (ability) to place people where they need to be placed,” she told AZCentral.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.