Key Points

• The bill requires hotels to post signs stating that the facility serves homeless people

• Supporters say the measure is necessary to protect families and consumers 

• Opponents say mixed hoteling provides safer options for vulnerable populations 

A bill requiring hotels serving homeless people to display signs alerting the general public passed the Legislature on May 6.

House Bill 2803 would call for hotels to post signs, printed in red, over each entrance and exit notifying visitors that the business caters to homeless people, as well as recommending that guests lock their doors, safely store their belongings, and report any health or safety concerns to local law enforcement.

Hotels would have to post a similar notice on any website that accepts bookings and provide a full refund to guests who object to staying in the same facility as homeless people.

Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, previously said he introduced the bill after learning that the city of Scottsdale was paying to rent rooms at a hotel. Gress also highlighted the Windemere Hotel, which Mesa has used as part of its “Off the Streets” program.

Gress and other Republicans who support the bill said the measure promoted transparency and consumer protections for the general public. 

“This bill does not solve an underlying problem of homelessness that we have, but what it does do is it allows for our citizens to be informed,” said Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, R-Surprise, during a Senate third reading session on May 6. “There should be nothing wrong with that.”

Some Republicans also pointed to statistics stating that homeless people were more likely to suffer from drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues, and that a percentage were also registered sex offenders. 

“In addition to giving people fair warning to protect themselves, this bill now has risen to the level of protecting children from sexual victimization,” said Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills.

However, opponents of the bill said serving people experiencing homelessness goes beyond just dealing with people who may have drug and alcohol abuse issues, as hotels that participate in “mixed hoteling” also cater to domestic violence victims, homeless seniors and veterans, people with disabilities and unaccompanied youth.

Hotels can benefit from these programs by filling unused rooms and people without housing can find suitable accommodations, especially when shelter beds aren’t available, said Nicole Newhouse, executive director of the Arizona Housing Coalition.

“Think about if you’ve got a woman who’s escaping domestic violence and she’s got her two kids. You don’t want to put them in a congregate shelter,” Newhouse said in an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times. “You want to make sure that they’re safe, and so a hotel is perfect.”

Newhouse said hotels that cater to homeless people usually have case managers on the properties who meet with them to determine their needs and connect them with services.

She disagreed with the idea that homeless people bring increased crime, drug and alcohol abuse to those properties.

“It does not make them more inclined, and there’s no data that suggests that more crime is perpetrated in hotels where homeless individuals are being temporarily housed,” she said. She also said that mixed hoteling can benefit rural areas with limited shelter space suitable for homeless populations.

“You threaten to leave people in the elements because there’s nowhere else for them to go,” she said.

Newhouse’s concerns echoed those of Democrats who opposed the bill on the Senate floor.

“There are several situations where mixed housing is the best option,” said Sen. Lauren Kuby, D-Tempe. “For example, seniors experiencing homelessness, especially those with mobility issues, where the benefit of privacy and (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant hotel rooms are essential. And then there’s domestic violence survivors fleeing abuse, where confidential non-congregate shelter is the best way to protect the safety of themselves and the children.”

“While the bill does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness, it further stigmatizes the homeless population,” said Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix.

“We could be having a conversation in this body about building more low-income housing, about extending the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, about making sure that nonprofit service providers have the resources that they desperately need and ask repeatedly for from this body,” Ortiz said. “Instead, this is the solution we’re putting forward.”