Mayor Gallego on bond election, clearing of homeless encampment

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego joined Arizona Horizon. She discussed her recent trip to New York City, the special bond election, clearing of the homeless encampment “The Zone” and redistricting.

Mayor Gallego also met with President Biden in late July to address the excessive heat Phoenix faced during the summer.

Gallego stated Phoenix has been on the “front lines of climate change” and is urging the U.S. Congress to help protect Arizonans from the excessive heat and to add excessive heat to the list of declared disasters.

Gallego also addressed the new redistricting maps that will impact 1.6 million Arizona residents. The new district maps were unanimously approved by the Phoenix City Council in September.

“We have been working for years to bring on our better supply of affordable housing, as well as short-term housing or shelter beds,” Gallego said. “We have several new projects that will be opening soon, some hotels that will be converted to housing as well as purpose-built projects.”

“We cleared a few blocks and about 80% of the people we approached accepted services at The Zone,” Gallego said.

Gallego and her team said they are working to have “The Zone” cleared out by the November 4 deadline.