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
Kat Davis, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
HMIS Lead Updates
Cheryl Lopez, HMIS Lead Agency (Pima County)
CoC Board Updates
Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Housing Central Command Updates
Housing Central Command Leadership
Update to Attendance Policies in TPCH Charter
Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Committee and Coalition Updates
Committee and Coalition Representatives
New Business/Announcements
Group Discussion
Breakout Session Options
Increasing Income
TPCH Continuum of Care Program Grant Committee
Strategic Planning
Kat Davis and Kyle Kerns, CoC Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
Conference Learnings: Shared Housing
Elaine MacPherson, CoC Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
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:
TPCH General Council Meets November 21, 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
Kat Davis, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
CoC Board Updates
Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
Housing Central Command Updates
Housing Central Command Leadership
Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) Grant Update and Governance Amendment Motion
Kyle Kerns, Continuum of Care Lead Agency (City of Tucson)
Committee and Coalition Updates
Committee and Coalition Representatives
New Business/Announcements
Group Discussion
Breakout Session Options
Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) Provider Session: Youth Engagement
TPCH Continuum of Care Program Grant Committee
Safety Planning
Arizona Center to End Sexual & Domestic Violence
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Housing and Health Opportunities (H2O) Information Session
Volunteers, Donations, Services Needed for Hope In The Park, a resource fair for unsheltered individuals and families
The City of Tucson and Tucson Homeless Connect will hold HopeinthePark, a day-long resource fair which will provide various resources for unsheltered individuals and families. HopeinthePark will be held at Rudy Garcia Park, 5001 S. Nogales Highway, southeast corner with Irvington Road, Friday Oct. 11 from 9 AM to 2 PM.
This event will help individuals obtain services in health screening, behavioral health, VA benefits, food, shelter/housing, legal assistance, clothing, haircuts, animal care, and more. Volunteers, donations and services are needed.
The event is sponsored by the non-profit support group Tucson Homeless Connect, and the City of Tucson's Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT), a program of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and Parks and Recreation Department. The mission of Tucson Homeless Connect is to provide a single location where local agencies, government, businesses, medical providers and the faith community collaborate to help the homeless persons with basic needs, referrals and advocacy.
“Tucson Homeless Connect is more than just an event – it's a lifeline for those in need. It brings our community together to offer essential services, compassion, and hope to our most vulnerable neighbors, demonstrating that when we unite, we can make a real difference inthe fight against homelessness,” said Thelma Magallanes, MDOT project coordinator.
To ensure a successful resource fair, service providers, donations and volunteers are greatly needed.
Potential donations include bicycles, solar cell phone charging stations, gift cards, tents, sleeping bags, and money. Service providers are needed to offer their agencies’ services to the unsheltered community.
Homeless Connect and MDOT are seeking 300 volunteers for a range of tasks: setup from 7-8:30 AM, registration and guides from 8 AM to 1 PM, general work from 9 AM to 2 PM, and cleanup from 1-3 PM. Volunteers can sign up here: http://www.tucsonhomelessconnect.org/volunteer.html
Event organizers are expecting more than 300 individuals, including veterans, people living on the street, youths and families with children
"Tucson Homeless Connect is a one-stop shop. Volunteers will guide our visitors throughout the resource fair and are an essential part of the event," said Robert Wild, a community safety navigator for HCD’s Housing First Program.
Tucson Homeless Connect is a non-profit 501c3. Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to: Tucson Homeless Connect, C/O Britni Hall, 8340 E Vicksburg St., Tucson, AZ 85710 or go to this site: Donate - Tucson Homeless Connect
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 has spent all available Prevention and Rapid Resolution Funds
Thank you to all case managers that helped apply for and distribute the TPCH Prevention and Rapid Resolution Funds through the community!
We spent all of our original $400,000 back in June, and have now spent the additional $200,000 that was dedicated to the program. With this, we do not have any more funding to continue this program. Case managers are encouraged to continue working with clients to determine alternative sources of funding and assistance.
Thank you once again for your assistance with getting these funds to the community.
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
Shannon Fowler, Continuum of Care Board Chairperson
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.
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
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.