An Arizona man who pleaded guilty to having violated city code after feeding homeless people has been barred from entering city parks for a year.
Tempe resident Austin Davis founded AZ Hugs, a non-profit organization aiming to help the homeless population in the city's riverbottom area.
"I was seeing no one had water down there. So I think that's when we really became first super connected with the Tempe homeless community," Davis said.
Davis began providing food and shelter and rehabilitation resources to the homeless population in Papago Park every Sunday. He was able to do so for months until city officials informed him he would need to obtain a permit in order to continue the events that Davis' organization referred to as "picnics".
"All public open space used for events, whether hosted by a nonprofit organization, resident or business, requires a special event permit. No person or organization is above city code, regardless of the type of event being held," said Greg Ruiz, interim deputy city manager over Community Health and Human Services, Tempe Police and Tempe Fire Medical Rescue.
After applying for the required permit in December of 2023, Davis' application was denied in January after he refused to stop hosting the picnics while his application was under review.
"We just kind of had to make the decision, do we continue serving food? Do we not? And it was a really easy decision to make," Davis said.
Davis was subsequently charged with numerous misdemeanors, with a Tempe city official spokesperson saying he violated City Code 5-2, pertaining to unpermitted food distribution events. It was also pointed out that he ignored multiple written and verbal notifications informing him that he needed a permit. KPNX-TV reported that the trespassing charges levied against him were dismissed.
"Compassionate giving is a quality that the City of Tempe values. As a community, we don't want anyone to miss a meal or spend a night on the streets," said a statement from the City of Tempe. "This case has never been about charitable giving or providing food to the homeless. Like cities everywhere, Tempe requires a permit to host large-scale events on public property."
