Billy's Way Home

The fact that another group has filed suit suggests that the concerns about the ordinance are not limited to a single organization or a handful of advocates. When multiple groups, especially groups with different missions, religious affiliations, or outreach models, raise similar objections, it can indicate broader dissatisfaction with how the ordinance is structured or enforced.
The legal claims themselves are also significant because they go beyond whether people simply like or dislike the ordinance. The courts will be asked to determine whether the city's requirements are legally permissible. If a court finds that certain provisions place an undue burden on religious ministries, charitable organizations, or protected activities, Phoenix could be forced to modify those provisions.

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix-sued-again-over-parks-ordinance-restricting-homeless-aid-40675186/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASfCHRjbGNrBJ8IcGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHr6nTWoRNLlK7ynKmR8UROPqE6Qg4Woidm-eC6JpIfch25kP3P0rJBmPIOtO_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Phoenix sued again over parks ordinance restricting homeless aid Circle the City and Valle del Sol are taking Phoenix to court over the ordinance, claiming it violates the First Amendment.

At a time when Arizona continues to face challenges related to homelessness, housing instability, mental health, substance use, and rising costs of living, we are learning that 211 Arizona is losing state funding.
Every day, people are told to "call 211" when they need help finding shelter, food assistance, utility assistance, healthcare, transportation, crisis services, and other critical resources. For many, 211 is the front door to the human services system.
When funding is reduced for resource navigation and information services, it doesn't make the need disappear. It simply makes it harder for people in crisis to find help and harder for nonprofits, outreach teams, shelters, and community organizations to connect people to the services they need.
At Billy's Way Home, we see firsthand how overwhelming it can be for someone experiencing homelessness or a personal crisis to navigate dozens of agencies, waiting lists, and eligibility requirements. Having a centralized resource like 211 helps bridge that gap.
We are concerned about what this means for vulnerable Arizonans and for the organizations working every day to serve them. The need has not decreased. If anything, it continues to grow.
We hope community leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders will recognize the value of these services and work toward sustainable solutions that keep critical resource connections available to those who need them most.
Because when someone reaches out for help, there should be someone there to answer.


https://info.solari-inc.org/solari-announces-update-to-211-arizona-after-loss-of-state-funding?fbclid=IwdGRjcASdoeBjbGNrBJ2hHGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHt3YXJ685XMBPcgvfoJSTAhcZCzl_niR04C0yNRogdcAEHJFTm4UD5o-UM9Y_aem_SoENUqqMti_fGUuTxlBWIw

A Small Victory for Human Dignity

Today brought a bit of encouraging news for those who care about the rights and well-being of people experiencing homelessness. A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of Phoenix's park ordinance as it relates to a local church group that challenged the law in court.
While this ruling does not directly involve Billy's Way Home, we know many organizations, volunteers, faith communities, and advocates who work tirelessly to support our unsheltered neighbors. We are grateful to see important conversations happening about how communities respond to homelessness and the role that outreach, compassion, and basic human dignity should play in those responses.
We believe lasting solutions come through housing, support services, community partnerships, and treating every person with respect.
For now, we celebrate this small step forward and will continue doing what we do best—meeting people where they are, building relationships, and helping create pathways home.
❤️ Billy's Way Home

Judge bars Phoenix from enforcing parks ordinance against church group Phoenix restricted giving homeless people food in parks. A judge said that likely violates the group's First Amendment rights.

Nonprofits seek new ways to help people as Phoenix park rules change June 5

Nonprofits seek new ways to help people as Phoenix park rules change June 5 Phoenix nonprofits are scrambling to keep helping people in city parks before a new ordinance takes effect June 5 amid rising concerns over extreme heat.

Today was powerful.
We stood in the park with CouncilWoman Anna Hernandez and others who understand what’s really happening on the ground. Not theory. Not assumptions. Reality.
Now we have ONE DAY before the vote.
Let’s be very clear about what this ordinance means:
🚫 Food distribution in parks will be restricted
🚫 Fewer meals for people who already don’t know where their next one is coming from
🚫 Loss of consistent, trusted outreach, relationships that take months and years to build
🚫 Increased competition between nonprofits for limited permits, times, and space
🚫 People pushed further into isolation, away from the very support systems helping them move forward
This doesn’t solve homelessness.
It makes it harder to reach people who are trying to survive it.
What we do each week is not just handing out food.
It’s connection. It’s trust. It’s the starting point for everything else, housing, recovery, stability. You cannot replace that with policies like this.
Take that away or limit it, and you don’t fix the problem…
you push it out of sight and make it worse.
If you’ve ever seen what outreach really looks like, you already know this.
📍 Phoenix City Hall
🗓️ Wednesday (May 6) 2:30pm
⏰ Arrive early to sign up to speak
We need people in that room.
We need voices that speak from real experience, not assumptions.
Even if you don’t speak, show up.
If you can speak, tell them what you’ve seen.
Because once this passes, the impact will be immediate and it will not be good.
This is the moment. Show up. Speak up. Stand with us.