Amidst a growing housing crisis, Sedona’s leadership and charitable organizations are exploring solutions to support homeless residents. This initiative follows a failed proposal last year aimed at allowing vehicle residency.
The Sedona City Council has tentatively agreed to allocate over $875,000 in state funds to a rapid re-housing initiative managed by Catholic Charities. This program is designed to assist locals with the financial hurdles of securing an apartment, particularly the high initial costs like security deposits.
Councilmember Melissa Dunn emphasized the importance of addressing this issue, stating, “These are people who are already in our community. They will be in our community whether this program goes forward or not. They will be sleeping in their cars. They will be on the verge of homelessness because of a rate increase. That’s the people that I would like for us to try and serve.”
Last year, nearly 70% of Sedona’s electorate voted against a proposal to establish a designated safe area for overnight vehicle parking. This plan, known as the Safe Place to Park program, included amenities such as restrooms and showers for those employed in Sedona but struggling with housing costs.
Vice Mayor Holly Ploog expressed concerns about potential resistance to the new re-housing initiative, drawing parallels to past opposition. She remarked, “We are going to be right back where we were a few months ago, causing a huge rift within our community. So how do we deal with that,” and continued, “And so I find myself in a conundrum of what to do, of how to move forward, because I really believe that housing people is a good idea.”
The City Council intends to gather further details on the program’s implementation before proceeding with a final decision.
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