Well New Yorkers are taking to Arizona for some reason, but NY people are f** great anyway.

I really wish people would give credit to the simple fact that there is a difference between mass camping and mass sleeping. Putting tents in place divides people and give privacy and hidden places. This is conducive to gangs and drugs - period. When you have 100 people sleeping in open proximity to one another however, it is very hard for any one specific gang or group of people to take control and hold sway, thus they are outnumbered and ironically a more peaceful/ respectful setting occurs. Certainly without privacy, places to hide, and plenty of people looking at you drugs are deterred. Hell even the tweakers will show a different side of themselves when community can take root. I say this from observing while sleeping in these situations myself. Unfortunately Portland put an end to this type of thing a few years ago and replaced it with tents- look at what it did. 

Good luck in AZ:)