Phoenix faces dueling lawsuits over homeless crisis as advocates scramble for more shelter

By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix is facing dueling lawsuits as it tries to manage a homelessness crisis that has converted its downtown into a tent city. The city is required to comply with a court order to clear out the downtown encampment because it is considered a “public nuisance.” But the Arizona Civil Liberties Union is arguing in another civil case that the city is violating the constitutional rights of unhoused people by the manner in which it is slowly clearing the area known as “The Zone.” The dilemma showcases the balance U.S. municipalities must strike when trying to satisfy the demands of residents and business owners while respecting the rights of homeless people.