TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson man hopes to shine some light on the community's homeless crisis right next to his house.
Levi Bennett Lives next to homeless camp and says the camp has gotten out of control, growing larger and becoming more destructive.
He says there's a lot of screaming and fighting that goes on not to mention a stabbing at a bus stop.
"They were hiding stuff in the bushes, their belongings, so we cut the bushes down. they retaliated by tagging much of the wall with graffiti and obscene stuff," Bennett said.
Bennett was homeless a long time ago.
"It was different back then," Bennett said. "Homeless people, the ones I knew, we didn’t go around vandalizing property and intimidating people. It's changed, something is different now where they are more aggressive."
Bennett reached out to the Tucson Police Department's homeless outreach team back in January, he got a case number but hasn't heard back.
Most of the City Council seems to be against the idea of controlled encampments preferring a housing first solution.
“If we are serious about humanizing our homeless residents, we have to invest in them as people. We can’t address homelessness with shortsighted, one-off solutions. This is why Mayor and Council have been investing in our Housing First model for the last two years through the purchase of hotels, staffing, and successful pilot," Mayor Regina Romero said in statement.
"Directing resources into encampments is shortsighted and irresponsible. Data shows encampments are not a long-term solution: they are costly and take away human dignity by keeping the unhoused in the shadows."
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Brian Brennan’s fascination with weather began as a kid in Arizona watching the intense thunderstorms during monsoon. He has covered major breaking news, court trials, Nellis Air Force Base, and has put himself at the center of many weather events.