Council Votes Unanimously to Support Foster Care Youth
The Maricopa City Council unanimously approved agenda item 8.4 on May 20, 2025, authorizing a lease agreement with option to purchase with Open Arms Vocational Living Center, Inc. The vote came after emotional testimony from community members and detailed discussion about protecting taxpayer funds while addressing youth homelessness.
Council Members Vincent Manfredi and Amber Liermann recused themselves from the discussion and vote due to their roles as directors of Open Arms Vocational Living Center, making the approval unanimous among the remaining voting members.
About Open Arms Vocational Living Center
Open Arms Vocational Living Center, an Arizona nonprofit corporation filed in October 2023, will develop an approximately 1,500-square-foot facility on a 0.16-acre city-owned parcel at the northeast corner of West Mercado Street and North Main Street. The center will provide residential accommodations and vocational support specifically for male youth aged 18 and older who have aged out of the foster care system.
According to the presentation by Josh Bowman, Maricopa’s Economic Opportunity Chief Strategy Officer, the facility will offer job training, mental health resources, and mentorship programs.
The organization’s board of directors, according to incorporation documents, includes Vincent Manfredi, Amber Liermann, Priscilla Behnke, and James Chaston. Torri Anderson, who spoke at the meeting, also described herself as serving on the board of directors. The center plans to offer safe and stable housing, vocational training opportunities, access to mental health and wellness resources, and meaningful connections through mentorship and social engagement.
Powerful Community Testimony
Torri Anderson: A Teacher’s Perspective
Torri Anderson described herself as serving on the board of directors of Open Arms Vocational Living Center. She is a former Maricopa High School teacher who recently retired from the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board after serving for 15 years. Anderson delivered compelling testimony about the urgent need for youth housing services. She recalled a student from 25 years ago who came to her classroom an hour before school started.
“He said, ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna do after school. My mom kicked me out this morning, and I have no place to go,'” Anderson told the council.
“I said, ‘We’ll take care of it,'” Anderson recalled. She emphasized that 25 years ago, Maricopa wasn’t even a city and had no services available.
Anderson revealed stark statistics about current youth homelessness: “Just this year alone that we know of, between Desert Sunrise High School and Maricopa High School, we had 20 homeless young men. That is 20 too many. That is only 20 that we know of.”
She painted a vivid picture of these youth’s struggles: “They’re still couch surfing. They’re still sleeping in the culverts. They’re still sleeping under the bridges. And you know why? Because they wanna stay in Maricopa. They wanna stay in school. They wanna become better. They want tomorrow to be better than today.”
Anderson warned about the long-term consequences of inaction: “Can you imagine if these 20 young men continued to stay homeless? How many children would they have? Will it be 20 homeless families by then? Or maybe 40?”
Priscilla Behnke: Real Stories from the Field
Priscilla Behnke, who has worked with youth and families in Maricopa for 20 years, shared a personal story about a young man who had participated in the rec center but came from a risky home situation.
Behnke reflected on how the story could have been different: “I really wonder how life could have been different for him in Maricopa if there had been programs and services like Open Arms Vocational Center had been available to him. Shelter, caring men who could offer guidance, mentoring, and accountability when those men in his life had failed, and hope for a future with a purpose.”
Protecting Taxpayer Funds and Economic Development
Council Member Eric Goettl led detailed questioning about taxpayer protection and economic benefits. He asked about other responses to the city’s invitation for bids and how taxpayer funds would be protected.
Josh Bowman, Chief Strategy Officer in the office of Economic Opportunity, confirmed no other respondents submitted bids for this particular project. He explained the city’s strategic approach to the Heritage District property. According to the agenda description, the city has cleaned the properties in the area and eliminated conditions of blight as part of its redevelopment efforts. He explained the city’s strategic approach: “We follow this process where we put out a bid for opportunities that can redevelop this area. Understand with sometimes with redevelopment, folks have got to come in with an idea that says, ‘We think that we can make this work.'”
Goettl expressed strong support for the financial protection built into the agreement: “We have this vacant property that the city has picked up over the years. Right now, it’s just sitting there, not being used, not adding any value to the neighborhood or to our community. And having Open Arms Vocational Living come in and turn something amazing into this from this piece of property, I think is a great benefit to the city.”
He emphasized the financial safeguards: “My understanding too, the option to purchase this land will more than compensate the city for the price that we paid for the lot to begin with. And so, taxpayer funds are being protected on all ends in this deal.”
Bowman confirmed this assessment and highlighted the broader economic development potential: “It’s that spurring on, that jumping to the next projects that, you know, again, from the economic development is really exciting.”
Capacity and Development Timeline
Council Member Bob Marsh asked about the facility’s capacity. Bowman explained that specific site plans haven’t been finalized yet, noting this wouldn’t be “a huge project” but would serve as “a good test case to see how that will go.”
Bowman acknowledged the center likely won’t meet the need for all youth transitioning out of foster care but said it would be “a nice start to see how does this work.”
Lease Terms and Property Ownership
The council discussed the 10-year lease agreement with an option to purchase. Under the terms, Open Arms Vocational Living Center will pay $1 per month in rent plus all utilities, insurance, construction costs, taxes, and assessments related to the property.
Mayor Nancy Smith sought clarification about property improvements and taxpayer protection. She confirmed that if the organization doesn’t purchase the property, “the city is not paying for the improvements that have been made. And in fact, if there’s a building there, the city would now own the building.”
Under the lease terms, the organization will be permitted to “construct and provide transitional housing and services for youth who have aged out of the foster care system,” as stated in the lease agreement. The lease requires the organization to commence both on-site improvements and vertical construction within 24 months of the effective date. The on-site improvements include parking lot, drainage, grading, sidewalks, landscaping, and extending and connecting water and wastewater systems. If they exercise the purchase option, they can buy the property for $35,000.
Vice Mayor Henry Wade asked about appraisals and documentation. Bowman confirmed the city doesn’t have an appraisal but noted the purchase price exceeds what the city originally paid for the property.
Next Steps for the Center
The approved lease gives Open Arms Vocational Living Center 24 months to begin vertical construction of the facility. Anderson mentioned during her testimony that six nonprofits have already committed to supporting the program, including Against Abuse, Doves Network, and Be Awesome Youth Coalition, along with participating churches. Anderson also mentioned involvement of local schools.
The organization must submit all required information for building permits and commence both on-site improvements and vertical construction within the 24-month timeframe. The project represents Maricopa’s first dedicated transitional housing facility for youth aging out of foster care, potentially serving as a model for addressing youth homelessness in the region.
