TPCH Releases ‘The Cost of Ending Homelessness in Pima County’, 2023 System Modeling and Gaps Analysis Report
TPCH Releases ‘The Cost of Ending Homelessness in Pima County’, 2023 System Modeling and Gaps Analysis Report
An additional 1,367 shelter beds and 4,901 units of supportive housing needed to end homelessness in Pima County, Arizona.
TPCH estimates that between $50M and $70M is spent annually to address homelessness in Pima County. These funds come from a wide variety of federal, state, local, and philanthropic sources and support a multitude of programs ranging from direct cash assistance to supportive housing, street outreach, child care, nutrition, addiction recovery, and other services.
If we are to permanently end homelessness, significantly more resources are necessary. TPCH’s 2023 System Modeling and Gaps Analysis Report, The Cost of Ending Homelessness in Pima County, identifies the number of additional housing navigation and diversion, emergency shelter, and supportive housing beds that are needed to effectively end homelessness in Tucson and surrounding Pima County and, using current system costs, estimates the additional financial investment that is needed to achieve this aim.
In total, an additional 1,367 additional emergency shelter beds and 4,901 supportive housing units, including transitional, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing units, are projected to be needed within the next five years to achieve and sustain functional zero, the point at which existing system capacity is sufficient to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief, and one time.
TPCH General Council Attendance and Voting Privileges Community Notice
TPCH Quarterly Membership Met on Thursday, August 10
Section 2.04 of the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness Governance Charter requires that the CoC Lead Agency/Collaborative Applicant publish a list of members gaining voting privileges, at risk of losing voting privileges, and having lost voting privileges within 30 days following each General Council meeting. The last TPCH General Council meeting was held on Thursday, August 10, 2023 from 12:30-4:15pm.
Per the TPCH Governance Charter, voting privileges are assigned to TPCH members in attendance at two of the three immediately preceding General Council meetings. For a list of members now eligible to vote as a result of attending this meeting, see the TPCH Voting Member Roster linked below.
If you believe your voting privileges are not accurately reported here, please email tpch@tucsonaz.gov.
TPCH & UA Southwest Institute for Research on Women Release "No Judgment Here" 2023 Needs Assessment of Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Tucson
TPCH is pleased to announce the release of "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.
"No Judgment Here" amplifies the voices, experience, needs, and resiliency of adults experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in the Tucson area. 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.
Join TPCH for a Discussion with the Authors and Peer Researchers on September 14 (1pm)
University of Arizona researchers will join TPCH for a special 75-minute virtual presentation of data results and discussion with peer researchers involved in the project. Join us for this important session.
Join us for the quarterly General Council meeting of the TPCH membership on Thursday, August 10, 2023. 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.
Trainings Offered:
Income Source Protection (Presented by City of Tucson Housing & Community Development Department)
Case Conferencing & Program Transfer Procedures (Presented by Pima Couty HMIS)
TPCH Orientation (Presented by City of Tucson CoC Lead)
Summary Meeting Agenda
Roll Call and Consent Agenda
Jocelyn Muzzin, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Community Celebrations
Jocelyn Muzzin, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Give Card Presentation
Colin Guan
Vika Living Presentation
Joshua Ahem
Motion:
Update Section 7.09 of the Governance Charter to add: “Vacancies will be announced, but not filled, March 1 – May 31 each year so that they may be filled during the annual election process.”
NOFO (Notice of Funding Availability) Overview
Elaine MacPherson, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
CoC Lead Updates
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
Board Updates
Jocelyn Muzzin, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Financial Updates
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
Summer Sun Respite and Cooling Stations Available for People Experiencing Homelessness
For providers interested in learning how to treat Heat Related Illnesses, training is available on the TPCH Online Learning Center. Click the "E-learning" link at the top of this page to access this training and more.
Download the 2023 Summer Sun Cooling Station flyer (English and Spanish) here.
TPCH Adds SAMHSA Training Content to Online Learning Center
We've added a number of behavioral health and best practice training offerings to the TPCH Online Training Center!
Have you checked out the TPCH Online Training Center recently? We have more than 70 on-demand training offerings available to help you in your work with people experiencing homelessness. Check out all of the behavioral health and best practice training resources that we've added this month!
Recently Added On Demand Training Courses
Effective Behavioral Health Crisis Response
Addressing Drug Overdose Deaths in a Culturally Responsive System of Care
Housing Supports for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Serious Mental Illness and Homelessness
Supporting Resiliency in Housing and Health Professionals
Trauma-Informed Outreach and Engagement Learning Series
Best Practices in Whole Person Care: Homelessness and Opioid Use Disorder
Funding Supportive Housing Services for People with Behavioral Health Needs
Disaster Response Planning for Homeless Service Providers
Supportive Housing Learning Series
Methamphetamine and the Transition to Housing
Integrating Behavioral Health Supports in Respite Care
Providing Affirming Services to LGBTQ+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Stabilizing Housing for Families of Children Experiencing Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Challenges
Taking a Trauma-Informed Approach with Events of Escalation
Street Medicine for Unsheltered Individuals: Serving People Where They Are
The TPCH Online Training Center is a free resource for TPCH member agencies and members of TPCH committees, coalitions, and the Continuum of Care Board.
Correction Issued May 15, 2023: The original report released on May 12, 2023 included an error in the number of persons experiencing homelessness who were sheltered on the night of the 2020 point in time count. This error was located in the data chart on page 10 of the report and has been corrected. Please download the corrected report using the link above.
The Annual Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) count, designed to provide a snapshot of households experiencing homelessness on a single night, was conducted in Pima County on January 24, 2023. This survey was supported by the efforts of more than 200 community volunteers, government agencies, and partnering non-profit staff. The 2023 count identified 2,209 people in 1,666 households residing in shelter, transitional housing, or living without shelter in Pima County the night of January 23, 2023.
In 2023, the total PIT count was up sixty percent from 2018, which represents an increase of 829 people over five years. For the first time since 2019, the 2023 count of persons in temporary shelter locations increased by twenty-two percent, totaling 708 persons, and the unsheltered count decreased by nine percent, totaling 1,501 persons (148 fewer unsheltered persons than in 2022). An additional 2,017 persons were residing in longer-term housing programs for persons experiencing homelessness on the night of the count.
Rates of homelessness decreased in 2023 among many vulnerable populations. Youth households saw the greatest decrease in homelessness with 163 youth under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness on the night of January 24, 2023, down thirty-nine percent from 2022 and down six percent from 2018. Veteran homelessness decreased by fourteen percent from 2022 and is down four percent from 2018. Although overall veteran homelessness has decreased, the number of veterans who were unsheltered on the night of the count remains forty-seven percent higher than in 2018.
Although positive trends have been seen among many populations, rates of homelessness among single adults increased for the fifth consecutive year with a total of 1,413 unsheltered single adults identified in the 2023 count. The number of chronically homeless persons has more than doubled since 2018 and seventy-seven percent of chronically homeless persons were unsheltered on the night of the 2023 count.
Overall, the 2023 PIT data reflects the growing number of people experiencing homelessness in Pima County since 2018 and offers initial indication that current efforts are beginning to reduce overall homelessness in the region after a period of rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented strain on our homelessness response system. Although we have a long way to go, the positive momentum over the past 12 months highlights the importance of continued community collaboration and innovation to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness facing our region,” said TPCH Board Chairperson, Jocelyn Muzzin.
The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness and its member agencies continue to work to prevent and end homelessness in Tucson and Pima County through a variety of strategies which include:
Coordinating street outreach and engagement services to promote service and shelter participation among unsheltered persons.
Increasing the number of low-barrier, emergency shelter beds for persons experiencing homelessness.
Diversion and housing navigation assistance aimed at providing rapid solutions to housing crises without the need for longer-term housing interventions.
Expanding available transitional and permanent housing programs.
Improving coordination between justice, behavioral health, social service, and mainstream housing resources.
The PIT count, which is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is used in program planning across shelter, housing, and supportive services. The count includes individuals and families residing in emergency shelter or transitional housing, as well as people living without shelter.
While an imperfect measure, the annual count is an important tool used to inform priorities for federal, state, and local funding. It also helps identify trends and craft solutions for the needs of vulnerable individuals and families. The analysis and overall trend data are utilized by the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness as one of many tools to track progress toward goals to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness. Additional information about this year’s count and historical Tucson/Pima County PIT data can be explored at https://tpch.net/data/hic-pit/.
TPCH Announces Funding for Prevention in Pima County
TPCH has funding available to its member organizations to address immediate needs that would divert or prevent someone from becoming homeless. This funding is intended to be used for costs that are otherwise not covered by existing programming in the community.
Housing programs can cover a wide variety of costs; but many still have limitations on the types of costs that they can cover. Finding additional resources for these uncovered costs can be time-consuming, which means that an unsheltered person cannot move into a housing unit, or a person facing eviction can get evicted while waiting. In some cases, people have the resources to be self-sufficient once they become housed, but lack the start-up costs associated with moving in. (i.e. application / administrative fee security deposit).
Eligible Costs
This funding is intended to fill those gaps in order to prevent or quickly resolve a person's or family's homelessness. It is a one-time intervention to resolve the immediate need, and it is very flexible so long as the expense prevents or ends homelessness. It is not intended to be ongoing or used to merely delay homelessness. Costs that are eligible for this funding are:
• Rent Arrears / Utility Arrears, When Needed to Move In or Prevent Eviction
• Bed Bug Treatment, When Needed to Prevent Eviction
• Identification Documents
• Moving Costs
• One-Time Vehicle Repair, When Needed to Prevent Job Loss and Subsequent Eviction
• Limited Motel Stays, in Certain Circumstances
• One-Way Travel, in Certain Circumstances
Ineligible Costs
Because the purpose of this funding is to quickly prevent or end homelessness, ineligible costs include - but are not limited to - court costs, legal fees, food, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products, and ongoing assistance. Funds must be requested by the TPCH member providing the services. Funds may not be directly requested by the person in need. If the purpose of your request is not listed in either of these sections, please email TPCH@tucsonaz.gov for clarification.
Funding Process:
To request funds, click on the image above or snap the QR code below. That will take you to the electronic form and give you the ability to submit supporting documents. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your request. Your submission will then be reviewed for completeness and eligibility. You will be notified to inform you if your submission was approved or not, or if additional information is needed. Approved requests will be forwarded on and a check will be mailed directly to the vendor. Checks will not be made payable to program participants.
In some circumstances, checks may be mailed to the requesting agency instead of the vendor. In urgent situations, agency staff may be able to pick up the check from the fiscal agent instead of it being mailed. For either of these situations, please email TPCH@tucsonaz.gov once you have submitted your request. Providers may also pay for the expense themselves and submit a request to be reimbursed. In these cases, the request must be submitted and approved in advance, and the provider must email proof of payment to TPCH@tucsonaz.gov within 14 days in order to be reimbursed.
If you have any questions, please email TPCH@tucsonaz.gov.
In Person @ Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, 5049 E Broadway
Join us for the quarterly General Council meeting of the TPCH membership on Thursday, May 11, 2023. This meeting will be held in person.
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 - 5:00pm.
Trainings Include:
Session 1: 2:45-3:45 PM
McKinney-Vento Act & Benefits (Presented by Arizona Department of Education)
Understanding the Rules of Pets vs. Qualified Animals (Presented by Southwest Fair Housing Council)
Community Engagement Through an Equity Lens (Presented by City of Tucson Office of Equity)
Session B: 4:00-5:00 PM
HMIS Data Quality
(Presented by Pima County)
Coordinated Entry 101
(Presented by City of Tucson)
Changes to the Rapid Re-Housing Rent Calculation
(Presented by Dia Nonaka, Hom Inc.)
Summary Meeting Agenda
Roll Call and Consent Agenda
Jocelyn Muzzin, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Community Celebrations
Jocelyn Muzzin, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Boxes of Hope Presentation
Beau Phillips
TPCH Updates
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
Budget Updates
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
TPCH Election Process and Overview
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Project Supervisor
Motion: Currently-seated Board members have the option to add an additional 1 year to their current term, as a one-time solution in 2023 to ensure off-set election cycles in future years
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Project Supervisor
Motion: Approve the attached updates (Sections 6.03, 6.11, and 7.09) to the TPCH Governance Charter
Cindy McClain, Continuum of Care Project Supervisor
TPCH 2023 Continuum of Care Board and Committee Election
TPCH CONTINUUM OF CARE BOARD AND COMMITTEE ELECTION
ALL VOTES DUE BY 11:59PM ON FRIDAY, MAY 19
Please attend the General Council on May 11th when the voting materials for this year's election will be reviewed. Members of the TPCH General Council with voting privileges are eligible to vote on all vacant Board and Committee seats.
ELECTION MATERIALS
Download the Board and Committee election materials here. This package includes:
Overview of the election process and voting instructions
Roster of current members of TPCH General Council with voting privileges as of April 27, 2023
Roster of seated CoC Board Members
Roster of CoC Board and Committee candidates
Listing of CoC Board and Committee candidates with disclosed areas of expertise as defined by the TPCH Committee Composition Operating Policy and key diversity goals
Candidate statements of interest and affiliations
Overview of CoC Committee purpose and summarized responsibilities
Quick Reference tool identifying candidates by organization and bodies to which each candidate has applied
Only one ballot may be cast for each TPCH voting organizational member identified in the membership roster. Multiple votes from the same organization will not be accepted.
Ballots may not include votes for more candidates than are eligible for election on any voting body. The ballot indicates the total number of votes that can be cast for each voting body.
No individual may serve on more than two (2) elected bodies of the Continuum of Care (CoC Board + 1 Committee, or 2 Committees).
No agency may have more than two (2) representatives seated on any elected body. If an agency has two (2) elected representatives on a single elected body, each representative will have one vote on all actions taken by the elected body.
All ballots must be cast online no later than 11:59pm on Friday, May 19.
