TPCH Releases 2024 System Gaps Analysis

This report paints a bleak picture and sends a clear signal that there is an urgent need to improve our local capacity to prevent homelessness. The structural drivers of housing insecurity, including home values, rent prices, and poverty, all remain elevated in Pima County. Elevated housing insecurity is driving increased inflow into homelessness, visible in the 59% increase in the number of unique households seeking homelessness-related services (by completing a coordinated entry assessment) between 2021 and 2023. The capacity of our local system (beds/units) has not increased over this time frame and the proportion of newly inflowing households served in any project type decreased from 39% in FY2021 to 28% in FY2023. This means that in FY2023 72% of households completing an assessment and seeking assistance were not served in any project type (meaning that nothing happened as a result of their engagement with the system). This is a portrait of an overburdened system increasingly struggling to keep pace with rising need. Since 2021 there has been a steady increase in the number of people on our By-Name List considered “actively homeless” and these increases have continued through 2024. We not yet observed any slowing of inflow into homelessness and there is increasing visibility of unsheltered homelessness in our community.

Looking ahead, TPCH’s 2024 Housing Inventory Count report registered decreases in beds/units across all project types, especially Permanent Supportive Housing units, indicating reduced local capacity to meet these challenges. Recent election results have decreased the likelihood of infusions of funds from the federal or state government to address the drivers of the housing crisis or to mitigate current levels of homelessness. While there are multiple serious city and county level efforts currently being implemented to address the shortage of affordable housing, these efforts will take years to substantially impact the local housing stock. These unique circumstances and the increasing prevalence of homelessness indicate an urgent need for more resources directed towards homelessness prevention to reduce the current and ongoing magnitude of inflow into homelessness.

There is motion locally on many of the elements needed to implement a coordinated local/regional approach to homelessness prevention. Substantial reductions in both homelessness and poverty are achievable, and there is a rich evidence base providing guidance as to how to get there efficiently. Building, and sufficiently resourcing, a community approach to homelessness prevention has the potential to reduce ongoing overwhelm of our homelessness response system, reduce harm among households who avoid an experience of homelessness, and better position our community to weather future challenges (e.g. the next recession, financial disruption, or a resurgence of inflation) to housing stability among our most vulnerable community members.

Read the full report here:

Blanket Pick-Up for Agencies Supporting Unsheltered Individuals Begins October 29th

Starting next Tuesday, October 29th, those who are representing agencies or other community-based organizations in town are invited to collect blankets on behalf of those in need. Blankets will be available every Tuesday from 10 AM to 12 PM.

Please note that no prior coordination is required; you can simply come to the Northwest corner of the parking lot at TPCH Office (310 N Commerce Park Loop, Tucson, AZ 85745) during the drop-in times. If you plan to take a large quantity of blankets, we kindly ask that you bring sufficient staff to assist with loading and transportation. HCD staff will be present to provide access but will not be supporting with loading and unloading.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.

Stop by every Tuesday from 10 AM to 12 PM to pick up blankets

310 N Commerce Park Loop

City Of Tucson HCD

Tucson, AZ 85745

City of Tucson Calls for Input and Public Comment on People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan (P-CHIP)

A draft of the City of Tucson’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) “People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan,” or P-CHIP, has been released and HCD is seeking input from the Tucson community. This is the second edition of P-CHIP, and it will serve as a guiding document for HCD’s strategic five-year priorities and goals, as well as providing the framework for HCD’s community grantmaking activities.

The City of Tucson has advanced many of the priorities identified in the first P-CHIP prepared in 2020, for example:

Establishing the Housing First program, providing street outreach, emergency shelter, and supportive housing solutions that have reached more than 1,000 Tucsonans annually.
Opening the Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist, which provided new opportunities for low-income Tucsonans to obtain much-needed rental subsidies.
Launching a non-profit development arm called El Pueblo Housing Development, which now has more than 1,200 units of affordable housing in the development pipeline.

The draft P-CHIP plan articulates HCD’s approach to addressing these challenges through the HCD’s direct work, community grantmaking, and collaboration with other City departments, neighboring jurisdictions, community-based organizations, and the Tucson community. A critical step towards equitable opportunity is providing safe, quality, affordable homes. Additionally, this path encompasses more than just housing – it extends to the essential services that people need to thrive and live in our communities that support us collectively.

We need your input on the draft plan!

Read the draft plan and take the survey to tell us if we missed something, if you have any questions, or other comments. You can provide comments for as few or as many sections of the plan as you would like. Find the draft plan and feedback survey here.

In addition to the draft plan, HCD will hold a virtual community meeting to give the public an opportunity to comment. The session will be held, Tuesday, September 17th, 5:30-6:30 PM. Register for the event here.

The survey will remain open for public comment until Tuesday, September 24th. After reviewing community feedback, HCD will update the plan and submit a final draft to Mayor and Council for approval later this year.

Need help completing the survey or want to receive a paper copy? Call 520-837-5025 or send an email to Ernesto.Portillo@tucsonaz.gov.

TPCH General Council Meets August 8, 2024

Join us for the quarterly General Council meeting of the TPCH membership. This meeting will be held in person at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, located at 5049 E Broadway.

For a list of members eligible to vote in this meeting, see the TPCH Voting Member Roster linked below.

Please note that the meeting will be 12:30pm – 2:30pm, followed by additional training opportunities 2:45pm – 4:15pm.

Summary Meeting Agenda

Roll Call and Consent Agenda

Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson

Community Celebrations

Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson

CoC Lead Updates

Elaine MacPherson, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)

Board Updates

Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson

Housing Central Command Updates

Housing Central Command Leadership

HUD Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Elaine MacPherson, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)

Committee and Coalition Updates

Committee and Coalition Representatives

New Business/Announcements

Group Discussion

Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson

Committee and Coalition Representatives

Group Discussion

Download the Meeting Materials:

8.8.2024_TPCH General Council Meeting Agenda

TPCH Voting Member Roster_8.8.2024

GENERAL COUNCIL_MIN_5.9.2024_Draft

Housing Insecurity and Potential Homelessness Report

The Southwest Institute for Research on Women has released its most recent update to its report on Housing Insecurity Indicators and Potential Homelessness Estimates for Arizona and Pima County. This report measures current housing insecurity with newer census data, and shares some of the following:

This most recent survey wave contains mixed news:

- Unemployment: macroeconomic situation has continued to be unusually positive at both the national and state levels. The unemployment rate in Arizona, 3.4% in May 2024, is a modest decrease relative to 4.2% in January 2024 and remains well-below historical averages.
- Rents: In previous survey waves, collected in February and March of this year, the proportion of non-current renters in Arizona fell to 6.3% in February and 6.7% in March. In the two most recent waves of the Census Household Pulse survey the proportion of non-current renters in Arizona jumped to 10.7% in April and rose further to 11.8% in May. This suggests that the declines observed in February and March were most likely temporary impacts related to tax return season. Once these tax refunds have been spent, we see what appears to be a return to stubbornly high levels of housing insecurity despite historically low unemployment.
- Housing insecurity and evictions: That said, the proportion of these non-current renters viewing eviction in the next two months as “very likely” remained very low at 3.6%. In addition, the accumulation of rental debt has also fallen substantially with 80% of non-current Arizona renters being only 1 month behind on their rent payments (or less). These last two indicators are important qualifiers to the overall percentage of renters not-current, and do suggest that the intensity of housing insecurity, even among non-current renters, has declined substantially relative to previous survey waves.
- Racial disparities: That said, lower-income and BIPOC Arizona households remain disproportionately likely to report being not current on their rent payments and finding it very difficult to meet usual expenses. The National Equity Atlas estimated that 58% of non-current renters in Arizona are POC and 68% are low-income (based on the Census HPS data wave collected Apr 2nd-29th 2024).
- Mortgages: Mortgage holders in Arizona continue to be in a strong, and improving, financial position relative to renters. Only 3.6% reported being not current on mortgage payments (down slightly from 4.1% last wave), and concern about the likelihood of foreclosure is extremely low among these non-current mortgage holders.
- Rent prices: In the fall of 2022 Tucson rent prices began decreasing on average, albeit very modestly. In the Spring of 2023 rent prices in Tucson registered modest upticks in median/average rent prices. Despite these increases, seasonally adjusted metrics of Tucson rent prices increased only 3.5% between April 2023 and April 2024.
- Rental vacancy rate: In addition, there is unambiguous good news in the rental vacancy rate, which has been trending upwards since the end of 2021, and hit an 8-year high in the 1st quarter of 2024. However, countervailing signals worth attention include: 54% of all Arizona respondents reported they had not experienced pressure to move in the last 6 months, 62% of Arizona renters reported an increase in their monthly rent in the last year and 48% reported an increase of $100 or more.
- Eviction filings: The most significant development in this report is that eviction filings have fallen substantially since January and suggest a substantial easing of housing insecurity among Pima County renters. Relative to a peak of 1307 eviction filings in January of 2024, the monthly count of eviction filings has fallen 54.7% to 592 in June. We have not seen the count of eviction filings this low since August of 2021 immediately following the expiration of the eviction moratorium.
- Basic necessities: Other metrics suggest continuing reason for concern: 9% of Arizona households reported reducing or not paying expenses for basic household necessities (such as medicine or food) “almost every month” in the last 12 months to pay an energy bill (65% of households reported “never” being in this situation). Credit card debt balances nationwide and in Arizona have increased 33% between Q4 2022-Q4 2023. And since November of 2023, counts of calls to 211 from Pima County indicate a very substantial increase in calls related to housing and shelter and utilities in recent months.

2024 Point-in-Time Count Infographic Released for Community Review

The Southwest Institute for Research on Women has released a summary of the 2024 Point-in-Time Count results in the form of an infographic. This infographic describes some improvements, such as a decrease in both veteran and unsheltered homelessness. However, analysis of the data also points to persisting racial disparities among those experiencing unsheltered homelessness, as well as the strong need for housing opportunities for parenting youth.

To cross reference this summary report with the existing demographic needs documented in the 2023 TPCH Homeless Needs Assessment, see the summary infographics posted here.

Homeless Needs Assessment Summary Infographics

In August of 2023, TPCH and the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women released “No Judgment Here”, the 2023 Needs Assessment of Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Tucson. The 2023 needs assessment was conducted by the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women with funding and support provided by the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department and the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness.
Providers and community members are now able to review summary infographics, broken down into five subpopulations assessed during the creation of this report:

BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) adults
Justice-involved adults
Men
Older adults
Women

The 2023 report is based on nearly 400 in-person interviews and focus groups conducted in outreach centers, shelters, and other service environments. Interviews were conducted by University researchers and peer interviewers, current and former shelter residents, using a participatory action research model. We hope that providers are better informed for the work they seek funding to provide, and community members gain insight from these summaries.

TPCH Announces Continuum of Care Board and Committee Seats

On June 28, 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled that people sleeping outside could be ticketed and after multiple tickets, jailed for thirty (30) days. The Court stated that these penalties were neither cruel or unusual because they didn’t inflict terror or pain and were not unusual to the city’s other punishments. See City of Grants Pass, Or. v. Johnson, 603 U.S. 1 (2024). The Court also stated, “Under the city’s laws, it makes no difference whether the charged defendant is homeless, a backpacker on vacation passing through town, or a student who abandons his dorm room to camp out in protest on the lawn of a municipal building.” Id.

The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness disagrees wholeheartedly with this ruling. Our unhoused neighbors will be disproportionately affected by laws that could inflict similar punishments. As Justice Sotomayor states in her dissent, “Homelessness in America is a complex and heartbreaking crisis. People experiencing homelessness face immense challenges….” See Sotomayor dissent, Grants Pass. The ideology behind these laws is to exclude people from our community based on their unhoused status. Barriers created by fines and potential warrants will make it extremely harder to become housed. Our Continuum has focused its effort and housing first and services for the whole person. We do not seek to further punish those who are experiencing houselessness by a creation of barriers that will not deter folks from sleeping outside.

Click here for more info on how to address homelessness without criminalization

TPCH Announces Continuum of Care Board and Committee Seats

The TPCH 2024 Continuum of Care Election Process Has Concluded

Newly seated members will begin terms July 1, 2024

Through participation from Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness General Council members, members of the CoC governing board and five committees are now seated. TPCH welcomes the perspectives and expertise of our new board and committee members in our mission to prevent and end homelessness in Tucson and Pima County.

Continuum of Care Board

The CoC Board serves as the primary decision-making body for TPCH. The CoC Board acts on behalf of the TPCH General Council in setting policy and governing oversight for our coalition. Board Members participate in monthly CoC Board Meetings and to contribute time and effort to CoC activities throughout the year. Board members are elected by the TPCH General Council.

Board members abide by the CoC Board Member Job Description, TPCH Code of Conduct, and TPCH Conflict of Interest Policy

Newly seated members of the Continuum of Care Board include:

2024 Members of the CoC Board:

Alyzdee Molina, AZ Department of Economic Security

Brandi Champion, City of Tucson

Sarah Meggison, City of Tucson

Yvette Gonzales, Pima County

Magali Lopez, Pima County

Danell Jessup, Primavera Foundation

Darius Miles, Youth Action Committee

Mike Edmonds, Community Advocate

Jocelyn Muzzin, Southern Arizona Veterans Health Care System

Colleen McDonald, Our Family Services

Shannon Fowler, University of Arizona SIROW

Taylor Miranda, Connections Health Solutions - Crisis Response Center

Daniel Kuhlman, University of Arizona

Maria Wildey, Community Bridges, Inc.

Lisa Floran, United Way

Anna Santa Cruz, DKA (Dorthy Kret & Associate)

Ana Lucero, Youth on Their Own

Bernadette Unterbrink, Community Bridges, Inc.

Rev. Ellie Hutchison, Arizona Faith Network Southern Arizona

Paula Dwornicki, Primavera Foundation

2024 Members of TPCH Governing Committees:

Download a full description of the committees here

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS):

Tia Nichols, Sister Jose Women’s Center

Cindy McClain, Compass Affordable Housing

Elisa Gomez-Garica, Community Bridges, Inc.

Maureen Freeman, Interfaith Community Services

Mike Edmonds, Community Advocate

Elise Gomez-Garcia, Pima County

Kristina Abril, Primavera Foundation

Coordinated Entry Committee:

Jocelyn Muzzin, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System

Karina Islas, Pima County

Tammy Byrnes, Our Family Services

Cat Polston, City of Tucson

Danell Jessup, Primavera Foundation

Anna Billings, Old Pueblo Community Services

Zach Simmons, University of Arizona SIROW

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Tia Nichols, Sister Jose Women’s Center

Rev. Ellie Hutchison, Arizona Faith Network Southern Arizona

Margaret Palmer, Arizona Pet Project

Anna Lucero, Youth on Their Own

Cat Polston, City of Tucson

Stephanie Santiago, Community Advocate

Alfonso Lopez, Veteran Affairs

Leo Effendi, Direct Center for Independence

Lee Barnhill, Community Advocate

Cristina Hernandez, City of Tucson

Ana Lucero, Youth on Their Own

Continuum of Care Program Grant

Yvette Gonzales, Pima County
Bernadette Unterbrink, Community Bridges Inc.

Randi Arnett, Primavera Foundation

Charles Dunn, St. Francis

Anna Santa-Cruz, DKA (Dorthy Kret & Associate)

Victor Bueno, Department of Economic Security
Lisa Floran, United Way

System Performance Evaluation

Amaris Vasquez, City of Tucson & Pima County
Paula Dwornicki, Primavera Foundation

Michael Macrie-Shuck, Primavera Foundation

Ellie Millyard, City of Tucson

Colleen McDonald, Our Family Services

Keith Bentele, UA SIROW

Louisa Osborn, Compass Affordable Housing

Congratulations to all those joining in the work to prevent and end homelessness in Pima County! All Board and committee members are expected to abide by the TPCH Code of Conduct and TPCH Conflict of Interest Policy.

Happy Pride Month from the TPCH; free LGBTQ+ Affirm Workshops Available for Youth and Caregivers

Image reads: Housing is PRIDE. LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming people are more likely to experience housing instability, housing discrimination, and homelessness. In fact, LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. — Photo Credit: https://nationalhomeless.org/lgbtq-homelessness/

The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness wishes a Happy Pride Month to all community members of all identities.

Housing is Pride. With the incidence of homelessness higher for those in the LGBTQIA+ community proportionate to their share of the population, the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness is committed to achieving equity in the mission to prevent and end homelessness in Pima County.

Major areas of focus in the 2020-2025 In TPCH Community Plan include evaluating and addressing disparity in access to and use of temporary housing services among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+ people, and non-citizens, as well as evaluating discharge from shelter and supportive housing programs disparately impacting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+ people, and non-citizens. Learn more about the work TPCH is doing here to face these challenges in our community.

For LGBTQIA+ Youth and their caregivers, the Family Pride Initiative is hosting a series of workshops to learn and foster positive coping skills, feel affirmed and foster gender affirming practices, and promote the safety and well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth overall. Learn more at the flyer, embedded below for download.