Downtown Phoenix business owners say the relief after the 2023 court-ordered cleanup of the homeless encampment known as "The Zone" is starting to slip away, as tents and people return to the blocks around the Human Services Campus. Storefronts and nearby neighbors report fresh makeshift sites on sidewalks and in alleys, and owners who had hoped the clearouts were permanent say they are once again worried about sanitation, theft and customer safety.
According to a report by 12 News published April 29, 2026, several businesses along Jefferson Street and 12th Avenue told reporters they have begun seeing tents reappear and people bedding down in the same corridors the city cleared in 2023. The station reports that conditions had improved after the earlier court-ordered removal, but local owners say new clusters of tents and litter are now popping back up.
How the Zone Was Cleared
A Maricopa County judge ordered Phoenix to abate the sprawling encampment in 2023, and the city responded with a block-by-block cleanup and outreach campaign that wrapped up in November of that year. Cronkite News reported that city officials offered shelter placements and opened a temporary campground as alternatives for people living in the encampment, while crews removed tents and debris from the streets.
Outreach Groups Say Homelessness Was Pushed Outward
Service providers say the clearouts did not end homelessness so much as scatter it across the region, making outreach and case management tougher and opening the door for new encampments elsewhere. ABC15 reports that Keys To Change and other groups have warned that encampments have "spread out" since the Zone was cleared and that the county's most recent point-in-time numbers show unsheltered counts continuing to rise.
Business Owners Press for Enforcement and Services
Owners in the neighborhood say they want a consistent city presence, regular sanitation and more shelter capacity so tents do not return to public rights-of-way. An appeals court has reinforced judicial pressure on the city over how it handled the Zone, including rulings tied to cleanup costs and abatement, creating a legal backdrop that continues to shape what enforcement looks like, according to reporting by KJZZ.
Human Services Campus Still Central to Outreach
The Human Services Campus and its partner organizations remain the central hub for services in the area, operating a multi-acre complex at 12th Avenue and Madison that offers shelter, meals and case management, according to Keys To Change. Outreach leaders caution that short-term funding pressures and limited housing capacity could push people back into public spaces if the city does not sustain both services and regular cleanup operations.
For now, business owners say they are watching the sidewalks and urging the city to maintain a mix of enforcement and services, while outreach groups keep stressing that long-term solutions lie in more housing and stable casework. They are also watching to see whether the returning tents grow into larger sites or remain scattered, and whether outreach, shelter capacity and sanitation keep pace with the need.
