When you need help

Everyone has the right to clean and safe business, community and public spaces. Certain behaviors violate the law or city code and require action. Others do not merit police intervention but may impact your enjoyment of a public space.

As needed, these are the different ways that residents, businesses and others can get help and also help someone in need:

Call 9-1-1 only for true emergencies

Calls to 911 are continuously prioritized among all other calls in the city to place
the highest emergencies first. Officers will respond as soon as they are able. Even if you are observing active drug or alcohol consumption, for example, that may not be the most pressing call in the city at that moment.

Tempe police non-emergency phone line

Tempe Police have a non-emergency phone line for concerns that are not true
emergencies: 480-350-8311. This line is staffed 24-7. Calls are prioritized from most to least urgent. Park security personnel may be notified for response rather than police officers.

Tempe 311 /CARE and HOPE line

Tempe 311 is the city’s “One Call to City Hall” service that addresses most anything residents could need. The service is staffed Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 480-350-4311, visit tempe.gov/tempe311 or use the Tempe 311 mobile app. Messages can be left 24/7. 

The community can call the 24/7 CARE & HOPE Line, 480-350-8004, to get help for themselves or others in need. For general concerns, email our HOPE homeless outreach team at  HOPE@tempe.gov. 

List of common concerns

The City of Tempe provides a listing of common concerns about behaviors in public spaces and at businesses and what to do when encountering a specific behavior.

Find the listing about parks and public spaces here. (PDF)

Find the listing about businesses here. (PDF)

Tempe’s urban camping ordinance, which was originally passed in 1997 and updated in 2018, prohibits the unpermitted use of public property “as a temporary or permanent place of dwelling…or as a living accommodation at any time.” The ordinance lists indications of camping to include, “burning a fire, carrying on cooking activities, storing personal belongings, laying down bedding for sleeping, using tents or temporary shelters for shelter…” 

Tempe’s prohibition on urban camping applies to all persons, whether homeless or not. The city enforces the prohibition in accordance with all applicable laws.

Residents should call 9-1-1 for emergencies in parks or 480-350-4311 for non-emergency issues in parks.

 

Nonprofit funding

Tempe relies on valued partnerships with local nonprofit organizations to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The city provides funding for nonprofits through Tempe Community Council's Agency Review process and through competitive grants.

Tempe Community Council

Each year, the City of Tempe funds approximately $1.2 million in human services grants to nonprofit organizations serving those in Tempe. This funding supports people experiencing homelessness, the working poor, survivors of sexual and domestic violence, individuals with disabilities, youth and seniors.

Our partner Tempe Community Council administers and manages the distribution of these funds through an agency review process.  Learn more about the process here.

Tempe is a longtime supporter of the Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP), a shelter program for adults operated by Tempe Community Action Agency. The city provides grant funds to support operations and our HOPE homeless outreach specialists work collaboratively with I-HELP staff to connect individuals with shelter and resources.

The City of Tempe participates in the regional Point-in-Time homeless street count each January and holds its own citywide street count each summer.  The counts give the city two data points to guide resources and decision-making. 

Find the latest regional results through the Maricopa Association of Governments.

Volunteers assist the city during both street counts. Sign up for Community Health and Human Services news to receive updates on volunteer opportunities. 

The Tempe City Council has set five priorities to ensure our city thrives, and tracks our progress through more than 100 performance measures. 

Among these priorities is enhancing the quality of life in Tempe through investment in neighborhoods, parks, the arts, human services, and city amenities, with an emphasis on equity and diversity. One measure of progress is achieving an end to homelessness, meaning it is:

• Rare - homelessness does not happen often
• Brief - people who become homeless are connected to housing as soon as possible
• One-time - people who are housed do not return to homelessness

Learn more here.

The City of Tempe is committed to an interdepartmental approach to assisting those who are homeless while addressing community needs and concerns.

Our Homeless Solutions Task Force includes Human Services, Community Services, Tempe Police, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue, the City Attorney's office, Tempe Municipal Court, and Communication and Media Relations.

This collaborative approach assists the city in identifying needs, understanding trends and creating solutions.

The task force addresses topics such as:

• Encampments in desert parks and preserves
• Annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count
• Emergency shelter
• Healthy Giving
• Heat relief
• Park safety and community wellness