Author: Jason Thorpe

Nearly 600 people sleep outdoors in the Tucson area each night.  They need our help to make it through the cold winter months. 

You can make an important difference in a community member’s life this winter by donating new or gently used, clean blankets, winter jackets, hats, gloves, and warm weather clothe.  Your donation will be distributed to programs providing crisis services to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Tucson and surrounding communities.

Donate new or gently used items at one of these convenient drop-off locations:

• Primavera Foundation (811 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson): Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 9am-12:30pm
• Salvation Army Hospitality House (1002 N. Main Avenue, Tucson): 7 days/week 8am-6pm
• Naughton’s Air Conditioning, Cooling, and Plumbing (6062 E. Speedway Blvd): Mon-Sat 8am-3:30pm, Sun 10am-1:30pm

Shop online and have your donation shipped to us

Visit our Amazon wish list.

Mail a check and we’ll purchase the most needed items on your behalf

Mail your check or money order to:

TPCH c/o City of Tucson Housing & Community Development Department

310 N. Commerce Park Loop

Tucson, AZ 85745

Thank you to our philanthropic partners!

TPCH Launches Community Input Survey, Hosts Community Planning Forum Series – Join Us!

Join TPCH as we develop multi-year community strategies to prevent and end homelessness in Tucson and throughout Pima County.  The strategic planning process will drive the work of the Continuum of Care over the next 3-5 years.  

Community Input Survey – Respond by December 24

TPCH seeks broad community input into current challenges, priorities, and opportunities to improve and advance our efforts to prevent and end homelessness in Tucson and throughout Pima County.  Responses received prior to community planning forums will be incorporated into the forum discussions. 

Take the survey online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/tpchcommunitysurvey. 

Community Planning Forums 

Please join us and lend your insight and expertise to this important process. 

TPCH will host four community forums during the month of December. Each forum is focused on one or more strategic priority areas.  Click on session title(s) to register.  After registering, you will receive an automated email with login instructions.

Improving Community Outcomes Session 1 – Housing Stability
Monday, December 7
1pm-3pm 

This session will focus on strategies to increase exits to permanent housing among people experiencing homelessness, preventing returns to homelessness, and promoting equity in housing outcomes among disparately impacted communities. 

Strengthening Community Partnerships – Session 1
Friday, December 11
9am-11am

This session will include two concurrently facilitated breakout dialogues focused on improving system partnerships with two allied systems: 1) behavioral health/substance abuse, and 2) workforce development and employment services. You will be asked to select the breakout session in which you wish to participate when you register. 

Improving Community Outcomes Session 2 – Financial Stability
Wednesday, December 16
1pm-3pm

This session will focus on strategies to increase earned income and cash benefits among people experiencing homelessness, improve connections to mainstream resources, and promote equity in financial outcomes among disparately impacted communities. 

Strengthening Community Partnerships – Session 2
Friday, December 18
9am-11am

This session will include two concurrently facilitated breakout dialogues focused on improving system partnerships with two allied systems: 1) criminal justice, and 2) hospitals and healthcare services. You will be asked to select the breakout session in which you wish to participate when you register. 

TPCH General Council Meets Thursday, November 12, 2020

3pm-5pm

Registration required.  Click here to register now.

The TPCH General Council will holds its fourth quarterly meeting of 2020 on Thursday, November 20.  This meeting will include community updates and an important brainstorming session to launch the TPCH strategic planning process.  Join us as we begin to lay a foundation for our community’s response to homelessness over the next 3-5 years.

Download the meeting agenda, current list of voting TPCH members, and draft minutes from our August meeting.

Not a voting member?

Be sure to attend – participation in General Council meetings is the key to unlocking voting membership!

Not yet a member?

Join us!  Our meeting is public and we encourage you to formally join TPCH.

Click here to learn more about membership and join TPCH. 

On October 26, 2020, the City of Tucson issued a Request for Letters of Interest from eligible non-profits with capacity and experience to operate winter shelter, housing navigation, and rapid rehousing programs funded through Federal CARES Act allocations awarded through the HUD Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.

Download the Request for Letters of Interest.

Questions about this solicitation should be directed to Jodie Barnes at Jodie.Barnes@tucsonaz.gov. 

Background

The City of Tucson has planned with the community to respond to the COVID-19 virus by supporting and funding efforts to provide housing and other services to persons experiencing homelessness. The City of Tucson has received supplemental funding through the CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) and CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG-CV) programs to address emergent needs related to COVID-19 and homelessness. As a result of the COVID-19 health emergency, non-congregate shelter and longer-term rehousing strategies are needed to reduce risk of health complications to vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.

The City of Tucson is releasing this Request for Letters of Interest from eligible non-profit and government entities with capacity to provide winter shelter, rapid rehousing, and/or navigation services for people experiencing homelessness in the Tucson area. Project funding will include CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds and will require full compliance with applicable Federal requirements except where waivers of regulatory requirements have been obtained by the City of Tucson.

Services Solicited Under this Request for Letters of Interest

This solicitation includes discrete scopes of service for three project components deemed essential by the City of Tucson to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic among people experiencing homelessness in the Tucson area.

Winter Shelter: The City of Tucson intends to subaward ESG-CV Emergency Shelter funds in the amount of not more than $100,000 to one or more agencies for the purpose of establishing 100 nightly winter shelter beds during the period of November 23, 2020 – February 28, 2021.

Housing Navigation: The City of Tucson intends to subaward CDBG-CV Public Services funds to one or more agencies in the amount of not more than $150,000 to one or more agencies for the purpose of providing eligible essential services that promote permanent housing placement and stability for a minimum of 125 eligible households referred by the City of Tucson during the period of November 23, 2020 – November 30, 2021.

Rapid Rehousing: The City of Tucson intends to subaward ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing funds in the amount of not more than $2,000,000 to provide eligible rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services for a minimum of 150 eligible households referred through the TPCH Coordinated Entry system during the period of November 23, 2020 – April 30, 2022.

Multiple Submissions

Agencies may apply to provide services through one or multiple project components. If applying to provide services under more than one project component, a separate letter of interest is required for each component.

Due Date & Submission

Interested agencies must submit all required Letter of Interest documents  to the City of Tucson by 12:00 pm (Noon) on Friday, November 6, 2020.  Submissions must be emailed to Jodie.Barnes@tucsonaz.gov.

TPCH and the City of Tucson are seeking bids from qualified consultancies and agencies interested in administering the 2021 unsheltered Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness and conducting data analysis resulting from the 2021 sheltered and unsheltered Point in Time Count.

Eligible Applicants

Government agencies and instrumentalities, legally established for-profit and not-for profit consultancies and organizations, and institutions of higher education are eligible to respond to this solicitation.

Period of Performance

The initial period of performance is November 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021.  The contract(s) resulting from this solicitation will be eligible for up to four one-year extensions based on continued need for the contracted services and vendor performance.

Application Deadline

All bids must be emailed to tpch@tucsonaz.gov on or before October 14, 2020 at 11:59pm Arizona time.

Download the bid solicitation, submission instructions, and scope of work.

Free Webinar: Understanding and Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Health Crisis on Homelessness in Arizona

September 2, 2020

3pm-4pm

Click Here to Register. 

Conservative estimates predict that rates of homelessness may increase as much as 30% in Arizona as a result of the current pandemic.  Researchers with the University of Arizona’s Southwest Institute for Research on Women will share results of their recent study and policy brief on the forecasted impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis on homelessness in Arizona and immediate policy steps that can be taken to mitigate anticipated increases in rates of individual and family homelessness through eviction prevention, supportive housing, and other interventions.

 Learning Objectives

During this training, participants will:

• Learn about the modeling process used by SIROW researchers to forecast impacts of the pandemic on homelessness in Arizona
• Better understand the potential impact of the pandemic on Arizona communities
• Review immediate program and policy actions that can be taken to mitigate the risk of rising homelessness

 Presenters: 

Keith Bentele, PhD – University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women

Claudia Powell, MEd – University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women

Click Here to Register. 

 Sponsors: This training is sponsored in partnership by the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women, Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness, and the Arizona Housing Coalition.

COVID-19 EMERGENCY RENT & UTILITY ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

The City of Tucson Mayor and Council have allocated more than $4.5 million of Federal CARES Act dollars to fund an emergency rent and utility assistance program for City of Tucson residents struggling to pay rent or utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) department has partnered with several agencies to administer this program including Primavera Foundation, Interfaith Community Services, Catholic Community Services, and International Rescue Committee.

Program Details and Requirements

• Household applicants requesting assistance must be City of Tucson residents and financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• A household may be assisted once for up to three months of late or upcoming rent or utility obligations incurred after March 1, 2020.

• One application will be accepted per household for up to $2,500 of rental and utility assistance.

• Applicants will need to provide a copy of identification, copies of bills, and income and household information.

• Eligibility is limited to households making up to $68,400.

• An agency representative will contact applicants within five days of application submittal for a phone interview and may ask them for additional information.

• If approved, the financial assistance will be sent directly to the applicants’ landlord or utility company.

Submitting an application does not guarantee assistance.

Applications will open online at 8 a.m., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, and households are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as funds are limited.

Apply Online: 

Visit www.tucsonaz.gov/hcd/rent-help.  If you need assistance with the application process or are unable to complete the application online, contact (520) 837-5364 or email covidemergencyassistance@tucsonaz.gov.

TPCH CONTINUUM OF CARE BOARD AND COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

ALL VOTES DUE BY 11:59PM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

The annual election for TPCH Continuum of Care Board and Committee members is now open.  Members of the TPCH General Council with voting privileges are eligible to vote on all vacant Board and Committee seats.

Am I eligible to vote in this election? 

Check the current roster of TPCH General Council members with voting privileges here.

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 August 7, 2020
• Roster of currently seated CoC Board Members with terms extending through 2021
• Roster of CoC Board and Committee candidates
• Listing of CoC Board and Commitee candidates with indication of desired 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

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

Voting will occur online.  Cast your vote here.

Only one ballot may be cast for each TPCH voting member identified in the membership roster.  Multiple votes from the same agency 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 elected bodies of the Continuum of Care (CoC Board + 1 Committee, or 2 Committees).

No agency may have more than two representatives seated on any elected body. If an agency has two elected representatives, 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 Tuesday, August 18. 

Late ballots will not be accepted.

Cast your vote here.