A Phoenix nonprofit is expanding into Mesa with a planned medical respite center intended to give people experiencing homelessness somewhere to recover after they leave the hospital, rather than heading back to the street or a shelter cot. The facility is planned to offer nursing care, behavioral health services and help connecting residents to permanent housing while they heal.
According to Arizona's Family, Circle the City planned an 85-bed medical respite center in Mesa as part of its expansion into the East Valley, with the center slated to open in 2026. The center is intended to serve people experiencing homelessness and enable residents to recover after hospital discharge.
The bed count itself has shifted across coverage of the project. Arizona's Family reported in March 2025 that the planned center was expected to have 84 beds, while Circle the City's founder told KJZZ in May 2025 that the facility would have 85 beds and was expected to open by 2026. Circle the City's own capital campaign materials also describe an 85-bed facility.
Where the Center Sits and What It Offers
The facility is located near Main and Higley streets, according to Frontdoors Media, which described it as a place meant to give people a safe environment to recover after hospitalization while receiving comprehensive medical care, behavioral health services, nutritious meals, case management and connections to housing resources. That mix of services mirrors the model Circle the City already runs at its two existing 50-bed medical respite programs in Phoenix, which the organization says serve adults recovering from acute illnesses or injuries.
Funding for the Mesa project came together from multiple sources. Frontdoors Media reported that the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation gave a transformational $1 million gift toward completing the center, while The Arizona Republic reported that a $5.6 million grant from Maricopa County served as the springboard for the project. Circle the City has described the effort as a $24 million capital campaign to build what it calls Mesa's first East Valley Medical Respite Center.
A Growing Need in the East Valley
The expansion comes as homelessness has climbed across the East Valley. KJZZ reported that Circle the City's move into Mesa comes amid growing homeless numbers across the region.
More than 9,400 people in Maricopa County are without permanent homes, a nearly 60 percent increase since 2017. The nonprofit says it provides healthcare to all individuals facing homelessness in Maricopa County through two outpatient clinics and mobile medical units, in addition to its respite programs.
Filling a Gap in Discharge Care
The Mesa center is designed to provide a discharge option for people experiencing homelessness. Medical respite programs can reduce emergency department use and readmission rates.
With the Mesa facility added to its existing Phoenix locations, The AZ Insider reported the expansion would bring Circle the City's total to 185 medical respite beds Valleywide. Arizona PBS had earlier described the Mesa center's capacity, reported there as 84 beds, as nearly doubling the size of the two respite centers Circle the City already operates in Phoenix.
