Ending Youth Homelessness in Tucson/Pima County
Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH) is on a mission to prevent and end youth homelessness in Pima County. To accomplish this, we are working to elevate youth power in choice in decision-making at the individual, organizational, and system level. We invite you to join us by emailing youth@tpch.net.
TPCH was selected to participate in two national initiatives to address youth homelessness in 2019. These include HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) through which the Tucson/Pima County Continuum of Care was awarded $4.558 million to accelerate community efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness and the A Way Home America Grand Challenge through which we will partner with Federal technical assistance providers and nine other communities across the nation to end homelessness among youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth by 2022.
OUR VISION
We envision communities and systems throughout Tucson/Pima County in which the causes of youth homelessness are disrupted and its solutions are permanent. This requires radical systems change built on intersectional equity and youth power. In these systems, young people drive individual housing solutions and hold equal power at all levels of community decision-making.
These principles form the foundation of our work to prevent and end youth homelessness. They are infused throughout the YHDP and Grand Challenge initiatives.
- Housing, education, employment, health, and social outcomes
- Focus on vulnerable populations
- Racial equity and LGBTQ+ inclusivity
- Family engagement
- Housing First
- Positive Youth Development and Trauma-Informed Care
- Youth Choice
- Individualized youth-driven support
- Social and community integration
- Coordinated Entry improvements
Goal 1 – Youth Voice and Action: To engage youth in leading and implementing strategies to address youth homelessness.
Goal 2 – Housing: To improve housing permanency and decrease repeat homelessness among youth.
Goal 3 – Youth Opportunity: To increase educational engagement and income generation among youth experiencing homelessness.
Goal 4 – Health: To increase access to and use of medical, behavioral, dental, and social/emotional well-being resources.
Goal 5 – Homelessness Prevention: To better identify and immediately assist youth at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Goal 6 – Data and Coordinated Entry: To leverage data and coordinated entry as tools for ending youth homelessness.
Goal 7 – Equity: To ensure that youth experience equitable access and opportunities for success within the local youth homelessness response system.
More than 150 community members representing a wide variety of housing, employment, education, health, behavioral health, legal, and young people impacted by homelessness and housing instability came together between November 2019 and March 2020 to develop a comprehensive and coordinated community plan to prevent and end youth homelessness.
Read the full plan here.
Read the 2021 update to the plan here.
The Youth Action Committee (YAC) is a collective of youth leaders, age 24 and younger, who have current or past experience of homelessness or housing instability. YAC members play a critical role in guiding the implementation of the Coordinated Community Plan, continuous quality improvement strategies, and are decision makers on YHDP funding and planning priorities.
Click here to learn more about the TPCH Youth Action Committee.
(If you or someone you know may be interested in applying to YAC, please contact youth@tpch.net).
The YHDP initiative is a collaborative community effort. Thank you to our incredible community partners for their work to develop and advance our Coordinated Community Plan to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness.
Amphitheater School District
Arizona Children’s Association
Arizona Complete Health
Arizona Department of Child Safety
Arizona Department of Education
Arizona Housing Coalition
Arizona Serve
Arizona Youth Partnership
Child-Parent Centers
City High School
City of Tucson
El Rio Health Centers
Goodwill of Southern Arizona
Indian Oasis School District
Stand Up for Kids Tucson
Step Up to Justice
Tucson Preparatory School
Tucson Unified School District
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
University of Arizona
Youth On Their Own
Juvenile Justice Coalition
Las Artes
Marana Health Center
Marana Unified School District
Old Pueblo Community Services
Our Family Services
Pima Community College
Pima County
Pima County JTED
Pima County Public Library
Pima Prevention Partnership
Pima County Juvenile Court Center
PPEP Integrated Care
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
TUCSON/PIMA YOUTH HOMELESSNESS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT GRANTEES
TPCH is excited to announce the selection of six new housing and supportive service projects funded through the Tucson/Pima Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project. Totaling more than $4.1M over two years, these projects will dramatically increase the availability of housing and services for young people experiencing homelessness with a focus on improving racial equity, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and coordination between education, juvenile justice, workforce, health/behavioral health, and other community systems impacting youth in our community. These projects will launch in the Fall/Winter of 2020.
GOODWILL METRO/REC REENGAGEMENT PROJECT
Organization: Goodwill of Southern Arizona
Grant Amount: $295,398
Description: Goodwill METRO/REC will pair peer outreach and advocacy delivered by young people with lived experience of homelessness with comprehensive educational and employment support services to improve opportunity for young people through educational advancement and professional employment. Services include high school/GED and college enrollment and completion assistance, employment readiness, job training, and connections to employment.
YOUTH CARE NAVIGATION & DIVERSION PROJECT
Organizations: Our Family Services and University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW)
Grant Amount: $658,272
Description: Youth Care will provide housing and service navigation support by linking young people to crisis and long-term housing options, mainstream benefits, and other community services. The project will also provide flexible funding to assist youth to rapidly resolve experiences of homelessness through family re-engagement, host homes, and other strategies.
BREAD AND ROSES CRISIS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Organizations: Old Pueblo Community Services (OPCS) and Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).
Grant Amount: $864,000
Description: Bread and Roses will provide short-term transitional housing specially designed to center and respond to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ young adults. The project will provide a safe restorative environment to help young people heal from trauma and transition to family reunification, longer-term housing services, or self-sufficiency.
CBI YHDP RAPID REHOUSING PROJECT
Organizations: Community Bridges, Inc.
Grant Amount: $819,492
Description: CBI YHDP Rapid Rehousing Project will provide up to 36 months of permanent housing support with an average length of stay of 12 months. Project services include rental assistance and comprehensive supportive services including behavioral health and substance abuse services, case management, education and employment linkage, case management and wraparound support for young people experiencing homelessness.
NEW HOPE RAPID REHOUSING PROJECT
Organizations: Our Family Services
Grant Amount: $966,509
Description: New Hope will provide permanent housing support for up to 36 months with an average length of stay of 12 months. Project services include rental assistance and comprehensive supportive services including life skills, education and employment linkages, counseling, case management, and wraparound support for single youth, young couples, and parenting young adults.
TRANSITIONS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT
Organizations: Community Partnership of Southern Arizona
Grant Amount: $504,000
Description: Transitions Permanent Supportive Housing will provide non-time limited rental assistance and supportive services for young people with disabilities and compounding supportive service needs. The project includes housing, integrated health and behavioral healthcare, education and employment services, case management, and other services for young people with disabilities.