A Phoenix father is airing his grievances over a homeless encampment that's grown too close to home—literally. Aaron Ruano, who has lived in his Phoenix home for a decade, finds his property a stone's throw away from an alley now lined with tents, shopping carts, and garbage, a surprising turn in the neighborhood between Thomas Road and 37th Avenue.
In a recent interview with Arizona’s Family, Ruano expressed his frustration saying, "They have little fires to stay warm at night. It is just mess and frustrating." His concerns aren't merely aesthetic; safety is a major issue, especially since he has discovered drug paraphernalia in his yard on multiple occasions. The situation is becoming tense as Ruano shared, “I don’t own the alley but they don’t own the alley either. Why is it OK for them to stay there?”
While the encampment is cleared during bulk trash pickup days, it's a temporary fix as the homeless community continually returns. Ruano worries for his family's safety, most prominently when he's not around to protect them. "What I am most worried about is when I am not here because I don’t know what they will do. What they are capable of doing," Ruano told KTVK/KPHO.
The situation is not being overlooked by city officials. The City of Phoenix provided a statement to Arizona’s Family, which outlines efforts to mitigate the issue at hand: "The City of Phoenix has been and continues to actively work to address resident concerns. There is a current PHX C.A.R.E.S. case at this address. An Office of Homeless Solutions outreach team was at the address yesterday morning, offering services and indoor shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness." Additionally, the city outlined the issuance of a 48-hour notice to vacate before an alley cleanup scheduled for Monday to "remove trash, blight, and any biohazards."
