I strongly oppose Ordinance G-7514m and urge every council member to reject it in its entirety. There are multiple agencies working to provide safety to the unhoused and those at risk. This ordinance will criminalize providing basic services, food, social services and basic medical care which is being provided at specific times and places. this ordinance is targeting a group of people... who will we deny services to next? your loved one?
I strongly oppose the ordinance G-7514, and urge the council to reject its entirety by voting NO. This ordinance was originally illogical and inhumane, and this amendment has changed very little, if anything, about that; in many ways, like the added ban on sharing food in parks, it is worse. It'd cause nothing but harm, it won't solve the problem, and people would die as a result. Those who help should be encouraged, not fined or sent to jail. Seek out REAL solutions instead of inhumane bandaids
Parks are, by design, public spaces. The question isnt whether parks are “for” families; its how we ensure parks are safe, clean, and accessible for all users.
When homelessness shows up in parks its because there is a lack of housing and shelter options.
A more workable framing is: how do we keep parks welcoming for children and families while also addressing homelessness through housing, services, and consistent outreach so parks don’t become default living spaces in the first place
In 2016 Phoenix joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative to HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. A proven method of reducing transmission of HIV/Hep C is through syringe service programs, which is even recommended within Phx's Fast-Track City plan. Limiting food distribution is inhumane when we've already reached 100+ degree days. This ordinance prevents local orgs from providing meaningful support and care where the City has failed to take coordinated, meaningful action in these areas.
This is immoral and against the teachings of Jesus (for anyone out there who cares). My school brings bananas (cheap, very rare allergen) to folks in parks 4 times a week (16x/month) and there are other nonprofits providing similar assistance at the same site. Now this would only allow the people at that site to be served food TWICE a month?! Starving the hungry won't solve the problem. Can't wait for my students to get arrested for feeding the hungry.
Please support this item as to allow for our City to regulate services provided in our parks and adhere to health and safety standards of all park users.
I support resources to help vulnerable populations and sympathize with groups helping them. But I do not think the city parks are the best venue for this. This ordinance provides some regulation and accountability to these groups in order that all residents can safely use our parks. I strongly urge these Good Samaritan groups to partner with nonprofits that are trained experts in medical care, food distribution, and the like in order to be the most effective while also being safe. Thank you!
I support resources to help vulnerable populations and sympathize with groups helping them. But I do not think the city parks are the best venue for this. This ordinance provides some regulation and accountability to these groups in order that all residents can safely use our parks. I strongly urge these Good Samaritan groups to partner with nonprofits that are trained experts in medical care, food distribution, and the like in order to be the most effective while also being safe. Thank you.
Removing harm-reduction and life-saving medical support in public spaces won't create a safer city. Redirect funds from the police budget towards affordable housing and access to medical and recovery care. This measure just puts an extremely vulnerable community at further risk.
Reducing resources won’t solve the problem. If people are concerned about neighbors in parks, utilizing one of the last accessible places regardless of income, then we ought to look at mismanaged city budgets. Try sufficient affordable housing, try funding recovery programs. Where’s the money gonna come from? Revisit the bloated police budget. They just push people around, respond to crime, not actually prevent it. This proposal isn't the answer. Vote no, and find effective solutions. Save lives
G-7514 severely limits aid workers from providing lifesaving food and healthcare to people in public parks. Even offering meals to people struggling with homelessness would result in a misdemeanor if the person distributing food did not first obtain one of the two monthly permits for a specific list of parks. The city is wasting time and resources debating a cruel ordinance that prohibits basic acts of community care, rather than seeking solutions to help the city's most vulnerable populations.
Is this really the best you guys could come up with? restricting the provision of evidence-based programming? taking medical care and food away from our most marginalized community members? You should be ashamed of yourselves.
While many community members’ concerns are valid, this ordinance will not result in their desired outcome. Reducing access to care in this way will only exacerbate many of the public health concerns we are seeing. Our parks are a resource for all, and limiting support within them will result in harmful outcomes for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. This fallout will be clearly visible within our communities, especially within our parks and other public spaces.
This ordinance blocks critical care and casework by established organizations, weakening pathways to shelter, rehab, and long-term stability. Rushed implementation ignores added taxpayer costs for emergency response, hospital care, and policing, and will increase homelessness and deaths in parks. I ask the city to reject the revision, repeal the original ordinance, and collaborate on workable solutions.
I oppose this ordinance because it rejects evidence-based public health measures and does not address any of the underlying issues. Parks already have a code of conduct and laws already address possession and use of drugs. All this ordinance does is continue to make it harder for people to receive help without actually solving the complaints.
Reasonable access to parks is not a ban. City parks need to be safe places for children and families to participate in group activities. All tax payers pay for these facilities and the City is working hard to keep them clean. The public parks are by far not the only place where medical care and food is available to those in need. This compromise recognizes the rights of all interested parties.
I support the Parks Ordinance 100 percent, but passing it alone pushes unmanaged events onto the 19th and 27th Ave corridors. Council must direct Neighborhood Services to enforce code violations on adjacent commercial properties and secure our public transit access points. We must protect our commuter waiting areas so that everyday residents and students are no longer evicted from their own public spaces. Do not protect city parks at the expense of our neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods and City staff have worked hand in hand in hand the last 10 years collaboratively to restore our parks and establish code of conduct. Finally, we are seeing 100's of children and families in our parks playing, and organized sports once again on our fields. Like any community resource, our parks require CLEAR expectations-no hazardous items such as needles, and full compliance with all city ordinances- to remain safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Banning resources does NOT eliminate an issue. Providing displaced folks with medical care and harm reduction allows them to navigate, especially as we enter hotter climate. If medical care and harm reduction is banned in parks what new ordinances will be brought in to substitute and expand the work nonprofit organizations currently provide? Not everyone has the means to go through a healthcare provider. If you don’t understand why, connect with community to find out. Accessibility matters.
People of Phoenix need public places where they can exist and receive help. Specifically banning Naloxone distribution in parks while AZ had a 20% increase in overdose deaths in 2025 is not the answer. Living in a city and using community spaces is something that everyone deserves to be able to do. Harm reduction measures are shown to be effective and are especially necessary as the city continues to decrease services to our homeless population.
I strongly oppose Ordinance G-7514m and urge every council member to reject it in its entirety. There are multiple agencies working to provide safety to the unhoused and those at risk. This ordinance will criminalize providing basic services, food, social services and basic medical care which is being provided at specific times and places. this ordinance is targeting a group of people... who will we deny services to next? your loved one?
I strongly oppose the ordinance G-7514, and urge the council to reject its entirety by voting NO. This ordinance was originally illogical and inhumane, and this amendment has changed very little, if anything, about that; in many ways, like the added ban on sharing food in parks, it is worse. It'd cause nothing but harm, it won't solve the problem, and people would die as a result. Those who help should be encouraged, not fined or sent to jail. Seek out REAL solutions instead of inhumane bandaids
Parks are, by design, public spaces. The question isnt whether parks are “for” families; its how we ensure parks are safe, clean, and accessible for all users.
When homelessness shows up in parks its because there is a lack of housing and shelter options.
A more workable framing is: how do we keep parks welcoming for children and families while also addressing homelessness through housing, services, and consistent outreach so parks don’t become default living spaces in the first place
In 2016 Phoenix joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative to HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. A proven method of reducing transmission of HIV/Hep C is through syringe service programs, which is even recommended within Phx's Fast-Track City plan. Limiting food distribution is inhumane when we've already reached 100+ degree days. This ordinance prevents local orgs from providing meaningful support and care where the City has failed to take coordinated, meaningful action in these areas.
This is immoral and against the teachings of Jesus (for anyone out there who cares). My school brings bananas (cheap, very rare allergen) to folks in parks 4 times a week (16x/month) and there are other nonprofits providing similar assistance at the same site. Now this would only allow the people at that site to be served food TWICE a month?! Starving the hungry won't solve the problem. Can't wait for my students to get arrested for feeding the hungry.
Please support this item as to allow for our City to regulate services provided in our parks and adhere to health and safety standards of all park users.
I support resources to help vulnerable populations and sympathize with groups helping them. But I do not think the city parks are the best venue for this. This ordinance provides some regulation and accountability to these groups in order that all residents can safely use our parks. I strongly urge these Good Samaritan groups to partner with nonprofits that are trained experts in medical care, food distribution, and the like in order to be the most effective while also being safe. Thank you!
I support resources to help vulnerable populations and sympathize with groups helping them. But I do not think the city parks are the best venue for this. This ordinance provides some regulation and accountability to these groups in order that all residents can safely use our parks. I strongly urge these Good Samaritan groups to partner with nonprofits that are trained experts in medical care, food distribution, and the like in order to be the most effective while also being safe. Thank you.
Removing harm-reduction and life-saving medical support in public spaces won't create a safer city. Redirect funds from the police budget towards affordable housing and access to medical and recovery care. This measure just puts an extremely vulnerable community at further risk.
Reducing resources won’t solve the problem. If people are concerned about neighbors in parks, utilizing one of the last accessible places regardless of income, then we ought to look at mismanaged city budgets. Try sufficient affordable housing, try funding recovery programs. Where’s the money gonna come from? Revisit the bloated police budget. They just push people around, respond to crime, not actually prevent it. This proposal isn't the answer. Vote no, and find effective solutions. Save lives
G-7514 severely limits aid workers from providing lifesaving food and healthcare to people in public parks. Even offering meals to people struggling with homelessness would result in a misdemeanor if the person distributing food did not first obtain one of the two monthly permits for a specific list of parks. The city is wasting time and resources debating a cruel ordinance that prohibits basic acts of community care, rather than seeking solutions to help the city's most vulnerable populations.
Is this really the best you guys could come up with? restricting the provision of evidence-based programming? taking medical care and food away from our most marginalized community members? You should be ashamed of yourselves.
While many community members’ concerns are valid, this ordinance will not result in their desired outcome. Reducing access to care in this way will only exacerbate many of the public health concerns we are seeing. Our parks are a resource for all, and limiting support within them will result in harmful outcomes for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. This fallout will be clearly visible within our communities, especially within our parks and other public spaces.
This ordinance blocks critical care and casework by established organizations, weakening pathways to shelter, rehab, and long-term stability. Rushed implementation ignores added taxpayer costs for emergency response, hospital care, and policing, and will increase homelessness and deaths in parks. I ask the city to reject the revision, repeal the original ordinance, and collaborate on workable solutions.
I oppose this ordinance because it rejects evidence-based public health measures and does not address any of the underlying issues. Parks already have a code of conduct and laws already address possession and use of drugs. All this ordinance does is continue to make it harder for people to receive help without actually solving the complaints.
Reasonable access to parks is not a ban. City parks need to be safe places for children and families to participate in group activities. All tax payers pay for these facilities and the City is working hard to keep them clean. The public parks are by far not the only place where medical care and food is available to those in need. This compromise recognizes the rights of all interested parties.
I support the Parks Ordinance 100 percent, but passing it alone pushes unmanaged events onto the 19th and 27th Ave corridors. Council must direct Neighborhood Services to enforce code violations on adjacent commercial properties and secure our public transit access points. We must protect our commuter waiting areas so that everyday residents and students are no longer evicted from their own public spaces. Do not protect city parks at the expense of our neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods and City staff have worked hand in hand in hand the last 10 years collaboratively to restore our parks and establish code of conduct. Finally, we are seeing 100's of children and families in our parks playing, and organized sports once again on our fields. Like any community resource, our parks require CLEAR expectations-no hazardous items such as needles, and full compliance with all city ordinances- to remain safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Banning resources does NOT eliminate an issue. Providing displaced folks with medical care and harm reduction allows them to navigate, especially as we enter hotter climate. If medical care and harm reduction is banned in parks what new ordinances will be brought in to substitute and expand the work nonprofit organizations currently provide? Not everyone has the means to go through a healthcare provider. If you don’t understand why, connect with community to find out. Accessibility matters.
People of Phoenix need public places where they can exist and receive help. Specifically banning Naloxone distribution in parks while AZ had a 20% increase in overdose deaths in 2025 is not the answer. Living in a city and using community spaces is something that everyone deserves to be able to do. Harm reduction measures are shown to be effective and are especially necessary as the city continues to decrease services to our homeless population.