HSC is pleased to announce the opening of Respiro! After an initial idea to create more COVID-relief space, timing and resources finally aligned with support from the City of Phoenix. Respiro is a 6,300 sq. ft. prefabricated 100-bed shelter located on the Campus adjacent to the St. Vincent de Paul Urban Farm. Individuals will be able to access the facility from Jackson Street.
“As the name indicates, Respiro will provide critically important respite for 100 people experiencing homelessness now living on the streets outside the Human Services Campus, a number that has increased significantly over the last six months,” said HSC Executive Director Amy Schwabenlender. “This much-anticipated resource will, at least in part, address the desperate need for shelter space in the Valley.”
Respiro is designed to be flexible in allowing people and pets for overnight shelter. Daytime operations to allow individuals to stay indoors all day will follow as staffing needs are completed. With over 1,000 people now living on the streets surrounding the Campus, this is a model that HSC hopes will be replicated across Maricopa County.