Q:  Why do you think there are homeless children in Sedona?  I haven’t seen any.

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A:  The Sedona-Oak Creek School District is required to maintain a count of the homeless children enrolled in the district.  Per the District’s coordinator, the count of homeless children fluctuates between 20-30+ at any given time.  If anything, these numbers are under reported.  Since this is the population we are addressing, these numbers are applicable to what we are trying to do.  We have already received requests for assistance and address those as they arise. With a generous offering from The Church of the Red Rocks’ congregation, we were able to help a working mother with two small children escape being homeless by paying her back rent and securing her residence.  With this same offering we were able to provide a 3-day motel stay for a mother with four children while they looked for a place to stay.  Unfortunately, they had to go to the shelter in Flagstaff.  This emphasizes the current need for Hope House in Sedona.  If they could have stayed in Sedona long enough for the children to finish the school year, it would have prevented more upheaval for this family already in crisis. Given the Covid pandemic, more families have found themselves jobless and homeless. With each day that passes, the need for safe shelter and food increases.

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Q:  There are services for the homeless in Cottonwood.  Why don’t the Sedona homeless go there? 

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A:  Most of us do not give a second thought to driving to Cottonwood, but for the homeless it is often very difficult.  Some of them live in their cars which may not be usable or mobile; or they may not have the money for gas, insurance and/or registration.  The majority of Sedona homeless families work here and have children who are in Sedona schools.  For the homeless, driving to Cottonwood every day may not be feasible.  The Cottonwood services provide care during the day; Hope House will provide temporary residential services for homeless families with children.

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Q:  I’m just an average Sedona citizen and I don’t want my tax dollars to go to help the homeless.

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 A:  Every taxpayer has the legitimate right to question and/or express concern as to how their taxes are spent.  Aside from the initial grant through Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the majority of the funding for Hope House operations comes from grants and donations from various community churches, organizations and individuals.  

Our residents are parents who typically work—here in Sedona.  Their wages simply cannot secure sufficient housing for them in Sedona.  In the long run, providing shelter for this homeless population may actually save tax dollars.  1) When families are in a more stable condition (finding temporary housing at Hope House), they are less likely to need Sedona’s emergency services such as ER, hospitalization, police and fire department assistance.  And 2) The emphasis of Hope House is “temporary” housing—helping families whose goals are to become “homed” not homeless. Support and assistance from Hope House is a “hand up” to these families—not a “hand out”.  While living in Hope House, our families work on transition plans with our volunteer counselors and also with other organizations, such as Catholic Charities.

Hope House has a strict policy prohibiting the possession of drugs and/or alcohol.  Also, individuals must be sober in order to stay in the facility.  No loitering is allowed outside the facility.