Having grown up in Arizona, it is hard to argue with many native Arizonans that Phoenix is not predominately the location to find people who are homeless. Perhaps it is because of the large quantity of homeless people surrounding the Phoenix area that it gives many visitors the impression that most of the area is low-income and poverty stricken. Depending on what part of Phoenix someone goes through, there is either a large majority of homeless people or hardly any. This brings the question, why are there large groups of homeless people mostly located in the Phoenix area?
According to Central Place Theory, in a specific region there is a hierarchy of places. The central metropolitan area, such as Phoenix, is where it is the most densely populated. If I were homeless in Arizona, it would be much more beneficial for me to reside around the Phoenix metropolitan area. The assistance offered to people in poverty, such as homeless shelters and food kitchens, are much more prevalent in this city than any of the surrounding cities. Phoenix offers many non-profit organizations seeking to assist the less fortunate, such as people who are homeless. If I were homeless I would rather locate to an area that I know would offer me some kind of assistance with staying warm in the winter or being able to receive a hot meal, as opposed to being completely on my own in a city with less focus on the homeless. Not only would having these types of locations available to me be helpful, but being able to see other people who could very much be in the same type of situation that I am would make the whole ordeal seem slightly less lonesome.
Phoenix offers locations and organizations that would be able to assist me if I were homeless, such as St. Vincent de Paul, Assistance housing, Health Care for the Homeless, UMOM, the Phoenix Rescue Mission and more. Having these types of assistant programs available and near would make Phoenix the most ideal location to reside around. There types of businesses and organizations can act as both a centrifugal and centripetal force. In some aspects it may drive some businesses and households to go to a more rural area to get away from the homeless. In other cases, these businesses may have been brought to the Phoenix area due to the centripetal force.
I would not venture to state that the tolerance level of the homeless in Phoenix is much more prevalent but that the local community and businesses are much more able to find ways in which to create organizations or groups to help fight poverty and assist the homeless as opposed to the suburban areas that is much more residential and primarily focuses less on business types of organizations. In a location where there is much more for the homeless it would be very hard to try and compare the living of the Phoenix area to anywhere else in Arizona.
Hi Leo,
ReplyDeleteNot only does Phoenix offer many services to the homeless, our weather also offers them a moderate climate in which to reside during the winter months. Many of the homeless people that I have interacted with over the years, move around the country based on weather conditions, rather than the services that are avaliable in a given area. This concept is hard to comprehend for those of us that have all the amenities that we need in order to survive on a daily basis. However, the homeless that I have spoken with find weather conditions the one variable that impacts their lives the most.
I most certainly agree with your blog. Phoenix has so many homeless shelters and aids to help serve those in need. As a community phoenix serves those in need to the best of their ability. The non profit organizations play a huge role as well.
ReplyDeleteHi there, this severely late comment thanks to BB outage+ my lack of computer skills.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered how I would handle being homeless. I think the need for human contact is what draws the homeless to the central business district. That and the foot traffic is the best place for panhandling.