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Category: Featured
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HUD Announces $8.7M in Continuum of Care Program Grants for TPCH Member Agencies
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In-Kind Grant Opportunity: Race Equity Learning Community and Organizational Coaching
Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness
In-Kind Grant Opportunity Call for ProposalsOPPORTUNITY: Race Equity Learning Community and Organizational Coaching/Technical Assistance
DATE ISSUED: January 19, 2021PROPOSALS DUE: February 3, 2021 – 1pm Arizona timeCOST SHARING: Required ($950)
Click here to download the full call for proposals.
ELIGIBILITY: TPCH organizational members providing housing and/or services for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Pima County, Arizona
BACKGROUND: Services, programs, and policies can systematically discriminate against people with diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities. When people experience homelessness, trauma, substance use, and mental health challenges, their housing stability is further undermined by racism, discrimination, and stigma. Equity is a strategy to address those disparities and achieve truly fair access, opportunity, and outcomes for all.
TPCH is committed to advancing racial equity within the Continuum of Care and recognizes that the greatest opportunity to do so is by supporting TPCH member agencies in their work to provide housing and services for people experiencing and at risk of homelessness through a lens of race equity and social justice. Over the past six months, TPCH has worked closely with a national consulting firm, C4 Innovations, to provide training, governance and policy support, and other tools to advance racial equity within our community’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITY: TPCH has contracted with C4 Innovations to provide nationally recognized race equity coaching and technical assistance for TPCH member agencies. Participating member agencies will participate in a monthly learning community and receive three individual coaching and consulting sessions with C4 Innovations’ expert coaches.
Organizational Assessment: Upon selection, participating agencies will complete an organizational assessment to identify technical assistance and coaching needs, race equity goals and objectives, and challenges that the organization would like to address through participation in the mini learning community and organizational coaching.
Mini Learning Communities: TPCH will host two mini learning communities. Each learning community will include four member agencies and include 6 hours of small group coaching provided monthly over four months (1.5 hours/month). Learning community sessions provide an opportunity for member agencies to share and learn from each other with the support and guidance of their C4 Innovations coach. Agencies will be asked to complete organizational review, planning, and other work between sessions to identify opportunities for improvement and develop race equity strategies within their organizations.
Organizational Technical Assistance/Coaching: Each participating agency will receive three individual coaching/technical assistance sessions with their C4 Innovations coach. These sessions provide an opportunity for deeper consulting and guidance at the organizational level and can be used to develop, refine, and address challenges related to race equity efforts at the organization.
PARTICIPATION OBJECTIVES: By participating in this opportunity, selected agencies can expect to:- Increase organizational and staff capacity to understand and respond to racial inequities in homelessness
- Develop organizational race equity strategies/objectives and performance measures
- Learn about and implement effective tools and approaches to operationalize race equity within the organization
TIMELINE: This timeline is tentative and subject to change.
February 3, 2021: Proposals due to tpch@tucsonaz.gov by 1pm Arizona time
February 10, 2021: Selected agencies announced
Late February 2021: Organizational assessment completed
March 15, 2021: Cost sharing contribution due.
March – June 2021: Learning community sessions (monthly) and organizational technical assistance/coaching meetings occur
July 15, 2021: Final report due to tpch@tucsonaz.gov.
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Winter Coat and Supply Drive
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!
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TPCH Strategic Planning 2020
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-3pmThis 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-11amThis 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-3pmThis 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-11amThis 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.
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TPCH General Council Meets Thursday, November 12, 2020
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.
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.
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TPCH Publishes 2020 Update on Homelessness & Community Data Report
Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness has released its first annual update on homelessness and community data report. The 2020 Update on Homelessness provides an overview of multi-year trends in homelessness and the effectiveness of the homeless response system in Tucson and throughout Pima County, Arizona.
It is our hope that this report provides useful information for community leaders, agency decision-makers, and the broader TPCH community regarding the prevalence and experience of homelessness in our region.
Click here to download the report.
Click here to review the recorded webinar presentation of key report findings.
Click here to download the presentation slide deck.
Highlighted Report Findings
Homelessness is on the rise in Pima County. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Pima County on a single night increased by 20.9% from 2019 to 2020 (unsheltered homelessness increased by 60.3%). Dramatic increases are seen in rates of homelessness among people with serious mental illness and others experiencing chronic homelessness.
Maximizing use of the existing homelessness response infrastructure could dramatically reduce unsheltered homelessness. Unoccupied shelter and supportive housing beds outnumbered people counted as experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the night of the 2020 Point in Time count.
Reducing unsheltered homelessness is just the beginning. Significant scaling of longer-term supportive housing is needed to fully address the crisis. People experiencing unsheltered homelessness or residing in temporary housing (shelter, transitional housing) outnumbered unoccupied longer-term supportive housing beds more than 5 to 1. While local rates of exit from supportive housing to permanent housing are above national averages, high rates of returns to homelessness stall community efforts to end homelessness and disrupt the pathway from homelessness to housing stability.
Racial disparities are negatively impacting Pima County residents. Local data demonstrates that Black/African-American and Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by homelessness at alarming rates, as are Hispanic/Latinx families with children.
Efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness among vulnerable populations including survivors of domestic abuse and people living with HIV/AIDS are succeeding. Survivors of domestic violence are 2.5 times more likely to be sheltered than unsheltered. The results are even more incredible among people living with HIV/AIDS who are 7.8 times more likely to be sheltered than unsheltered.
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City of Tucson Issues Request for Letters of Interest – CARES Act Homeless Assistance Programs
City of Tucson Issues Request for Letters of Interest from Qualified Agencies to Provide CARES Act Winter Shelter, Housing Navigation, and Rapid Rehousing ServicesResponses Due: November 6, 2020 – 12PM AZ TimeOn 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.
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Call for Proposals: Administration of the 2021 Unsheltered Point in Time Count
CALL FOR APPLICATIONSADMINISTRATION OF THE 2021 POINT IN TIME COUNT OF UNSHELTERED PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN PIMA COUNTYDEADLINE TO APPLY: OCTOBER 14, 2020TPCH 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.
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Understanding & Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Health Crisis on Homelessness in Arizona
Free Webinar: Understanding and Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Health Crisis on Homelessness in Arizona
September 2, 2020
3pm-4pm
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
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.
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COVID-19 Emergency Rent & Utility Assistance Available for Tucson Residents
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.