The Mesa Police Department has had its hands full with the Canal on Baseline (COB) luxury townhome complex, which has turned into a den for unlicensed sober living facilities, according to a report by FOX 10 Phoenix. Police were called nearly every day last year to respond to incidents involving heavy intoxication, violence, and disturbances among the sober living community residents. COB has documented at least 26 homes being used by rehab programs, out of 90 total townhomes on the property.
Investigators have discovered that these unauthorized rehabs have been able to swiftly shuffle vulnerable individuals from unit to unit, charging them "sober living fees" despite providing little to no care. This led not only to frequent police intervention but also to a corrupted sense of safety for the community members, who had initially invested in what was presented as a living space of quiet modernity. The Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes called the situation a frustrating game of "whack-a-mole," as unlicensed providers continue to surface and exploit Medicaid services.
Residents have expressed their concerns, with one woman, identified only as Amy, telling FOX 10, "Our kids screaming, crying in the middle of the night because we’re getting woken up to the violence outside of people fighting." The Arizona Department of Health Services' (AZDHS) database confirms no licensing at 6060 East Baseline Road for any behavioral health provider yet the complex remains a hub for these unlicensed facilities. According to Mesa PD, there were 237 calls for service in 2023 alone at this address.
The city of Mesa has acknowledged the issue and is working with various departments to address the resident complaints about the alleged sober living homes. "Mesa is actively investigating resident complaints about alleged sober living homes through a multi-department approach involving police, code, and planning," the city said in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. This comes after a press conference held by Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 16, in which the Lieutenant Governor Monica Antone of the Gila River Indian Community has described the exploitation of individuals battling addiction, who are "enticed with drugs to stay in there, alcohol, methamphetamine."
This investigation unveiled that some tenants were levying a "group, sober, or transitional home surcharge" on top of rent, further indicating the presence of sober living activities despite claims of compliance with city codes by Samir Sawhney, owner of COB. Samir Holdings, Inc., Sawhney's company, owns several units in the complex. Though the COB was not built to operate as a sober living home or engage in illegal activities, a hefty sum of police calls and evictions linked to sober living homes have cast a shadow on the future of this "luxury" location.
