Governor Katie Hobbs rejected a bill on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, that would have created drug-free zones around homeless shelters in Arizona. House Bill HB2437, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress (R-4), would have also raised the penalties for drug dealing within the zones and mandated that homelessness facilities display signs declaring their property as drug-free zones and implement formal policies prohibiting drug possession and use.

“It basically says you can’t do drugs or sell drugs inside of these facilities that serve individuals who are homeless, and that you can’t possess or use drugs inside these facilities, either,” said Gress, who is a Phoenix resident. “It provides a clear accountability measure of those who want to prey on victims of substance abuse by going into this captive market.”

The idea emerged in the previous legislative session in response to a massive open-air encampment of what Gress numbered 1,000 people in downtown Phoenix. He said that for years, the city administration has refused to address the connection between addiction and homelessness, overlooking the many criminal offenses happening in and around homeless shelters daily. Representatives from multiple social service organizations approached him about a possible solution, and HB2437 was born.

But Hobbs killed it, citing her previous work with homeless individuals and adding it to the long list of vetoed bills.

“I know that social workers and service providers should focus on engaging people in services, not enforcing our criminal laws,” she wrote in a May 13 press release. “I encourage this Legislature to work with me to address our state’s housing shortage, increase affordable housing options, and get homeless Arizonans off the street.”

Gress, however, said that Hobbs was mistaken, as anyone not involved in law enforcement would not be in charge of arresting offenders or anything remotely related to it.

“The police are the ones who enforce the laws. All we’re saying is if you see something, say something,” Gress said. “If someone at these facilities sees someone selling drugs, then we want you to report that person, not look the other way.”

Gress said his bill would have been far superior to the current situation because it required accountability from homeless-serving organizations.

“Currently, it’s providers asking us to just give them more money without any accountability measures around them,” he said. “They told me they have anti-drug policies already, but if people were dealing and they’re breaking the law, their policy is not to call the cops; it’s just to tell them to leave, and that doesn’t solve the problem.”

Up next for Gress? A possible audit of the state’s Department of Housing.

“We need a whole nose-to-toes audit, and I’m looking forward to securing that in this legislative session,” he said. “More transparency is going to lead to greater accountability.”