Wealthy Sedona residents in uproar over city's plans to create PARKING LOT for homeless to sleep in because they can't afford houses

Sedona residents expressed their outrage with a program the city council approved that will allow the city's homeless workers to sleep in an empty parking lot due to a lack of affordable housing in popular tourist area.

The council approved the program in a 6 to 1 vote on March 12, with the sole dissenting vote coming from Vice Mayor Holli Ploog, who said she felt torn after hearing concerns from citizens.

'When you have something as divisive as this, you could break this community. And I don't want to see that happen,' Ploog said.

'I wish we had the authority to put this on the ballot because I want to hear what the community actually wants to do.'

During the nine hour long council meeting, residents said its a matter they feel they should get to vote on and that officials could come up with better ways to serve the homeless population.

Sedona resident David Leary said, 'What could possibly go wrong, right? For this, we're a mile from a high school, we're adjacent to the national forest, you're going to have to have a bouncer to guard this parking lot. There are so many red flags on this.' 

Sedona City Council has approved a program that will allow the city's homeless workers to sleep in an empty parking

During the nine hour long council meeting, residents said its a matter they feel they should get to vote on and that officials could come up with better ways to serve the homeless population

A large growth of short-term rentals in Sedona has forced long term residents out of their homes

The Safe Place to Park program will turn the Sedona Cultural Park into 40 parking spots for cars and recreational vehicles belonging to homeless people employed full-time within city limits, reported the Arizona Republic.

Funded by a two-year grant from the Arizona Department of Housing, the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition will monitor the lot between 10 pm and 8 am, and all vehicles will be required to vacate during the day.

The parking lot will offer amenities like bathrooms, showers and a place to cook, as well as help connect residents to services to help find more permanent housing, according to AZ Family.

Sedona resident Susan Gerbi said, 'How long before Sedona is sued? How long before some is injured on the site, god forbid it's a child. How long before we attract outside activist and our simple rules and regulations are torn apart?'

'How long before the once sacred ground of our western gateway is desecrated by a full on homeless encampment? Not long at all.'

Resident Dr. Bill Noonan said, 'If the city does pass this misbegotten zoning ordinance, I've already prepared, and tomorrow I will file for a ballot referendum so the people of Sedona can correct that mistake.'

The city bought the property at the park for $23 million last year and many community members expressed they feel the property should be used for something else.

Officials are working on a 30-unit workforce housing project on Shelby Drive that they expect to finish when the Safe Place to Park program ends. 

'I don't think there's anybody up here or staff that are extremely proud of this. This is a last-ditch effort,' Mayor Scott Jablow said. 

'No one's really proud because this isn't really the answer. It's one of many answers.'

Sedona, known for its scenic Red Rock State Park, has become a popular tourist destination and seen a large growth of short-term rentals that has forced long term residents out of their homes. 

Short-term rentals have increased from 744 units in 20 or 12 percent of the city's housing stock to 1,089 units or 16 percent now, according to The Washington Post.

The median rent for all bedrooms and all property types in Sedona is $3,100 - 51 percent higher than the national median, according to Zillow.

The federal government recently announced it will soon start paying off people's rent in two states to help curb America's homelessness epidemic. 

Sedona resident Susan Gerbi said, 'How long before the once sacred ground of our western gateway is desecrated by a full on homeless encampment?'

Resident Dr. Bill Noonan said he plans on filing a referendum to get the project on the ballot and let the citizens of Sedona decide

Sedona, known for its scenic Red Rock State Park, has become a popular tourist destination

Two states rolling out the program this fall, Arizona and Oregon, will target specific subpopulations of Medicaid beneficiaries who qualify under each states' specific guidelines - which includes people currently homeless or at risk of losing housing and people with mental illness.

In Arizona, which will allocate $550 million of its Medicaid funding to the program, 2.5 million people are enrolled in the healthcare program.

Arizona has 14,200 unhoused residents and will target people classified as having a serious mental illness to subsidize rent and because it lacks a supply of affordable housing, it will use the Medicaid funding to pay for 'enhanced shelters,' which consist of group housing.

Others who will qualify include those at risk of or currently facing homelessness and those on an approved community housing waitlist.

The state was approved to cover up to six months of housing for people. Those eligible for rental assistance will receive a voucher to lease housing. If a person does not have any income the voucher will cover 100 percent of the rent.