Phoenix to show compliance with court order to clear ‘The Zone’ homeless encampment

PHOENIX (AP) — The city of Phoenix is going to court to prove it has met a deadline to clear a large homeless encampment, an action that has drawn pushback from civil rights advocates. As part of a civil lawsuit, city officials will start a three-day trial Monday to show they have complied with a judge’s order and cleaned up the area known as “The Zone.” A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sided with business owners and residents last month and declared the tent city in south Phoenix a public nuisance. Like several other major cities, Phoenix has had to balance the concerns of employers and homeowners and respecting the rights of homeless people.