St. Vincent de Paul expands programs to address homelessness

Homelessness in Arizona is at a critical point, but St. Vincent de Paul is committed to doing its part, according to Shannon Clancy, Chief Executive Officer at Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the inaugural Rob and Melani Walton Endowed CEO. Clancy joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss more about their initiatives during the upcoming holidays.

This nonprofit runs almost entirely on volunteers and recently increased its meal production. As a result of the increasing needs, the St. Vincent de Paul increased its meal production to 7,000 meals per day.

St. Vincent de Paul has also opened two new transitional housing shelters on its main Watkins Campus in Phoenix. This new addition expands their bed count to 231 beds in total, with funding coming from the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, the state of Arizona and private donations.

The new transitional housing building comes from St. Vincent de Paul’s Housing 2025 initiative to permanently rehouse 2,025 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2025. Since the start of October 2022, the nonprofit has achieved permanent housing for 1,835 individuals through its many programs.

The new building will have three programs, De Paul Manor, Marion and Bob Auray Companion Animal Clinic and a Workforce Development Program.

“…if we can get them back into a place they can afford, then it sticks,” Clancy said. “They really can maintain that housing, and they won’t be back on our streets.”

De Paul Manor features 100 beds for unhoused seniors and adults living with disabilities. This program is modeled after Ozanam Manor, which boasted a 98% success rate of graduated residents not returning to homeless services one year after moving out.

“Giving people the chance to get back on their feet, and into permanent housing,” Clancy said.

The Marion and Bob Auray Companion Animal Clinic will be St. Vincent de Paul’s first animal clinic. They will partner with Midwestern University Animal Health Institute to provide much-needed animal services.

The Workforce Development Program will serve as a training center and office space that will support St. Vincent de Paul’s transitional housing residents as they work toward stable employment.