Local opinion: Tucson poverty project exposes needs

Poverty and housing insecurity is a huge issue in Tucson. When talking with the people of 29th Street thrive zone I noticed patterns such as issues with drug usage and high crime. As well, I noticed people had stated they could use help finding information or ways to find more help. I believe there are a few solutions that could potentially improve these issues and create even more opportunities for people. I believe this change can be very impactful and a step closer to fixing the issues.

In “Poverty, By America” by Matthew Desmond, it asks, “What accounts for our lack of progress on poverty?” Growing up in south Tucson I have always noticed issues stated and I think this change and issues have needed to be addressed ages ago. Desmond brings up good arguments that money isn’t being correctly allocated to help those in poverty and not being completely distributed. For years growing up I had always heard the same question, “When are they going to do something about it?” When is the city of Tucson going to do something about all these issues? When is the city going to take care of its people?

For this I propose a few solutions or maybe steps to solutions that could potentially help the people of Tucson. In the city of Tucson, the crime rate was five times higher than the U.S average in 2022 according to city data. More specifically, south side Tucson and 29th Street account for these higher crime rates. I believe the neighborhood patrol car could be an open opportunity for more job opportunities as well as more security and sense of safety for the residents.

Another issue I noticed was the need for more help searching for resources. Many people need the help to understand what resources are available to them and what they qualify for. It’s always important to receive the help understanding and allocating resources available to you which could go a long way for some. “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond shares a story of a single father who received a double check by mistake. “In its rights and responsibilities guide, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families informed clients who have been overpaid: You may have to repay benefits you receive by mistake regardless of whether it is your fault or the agency’s fault.” He then got deducted that double check making him fall behind a month on rent. This issue can snowball and cause more financial problems for this person. This is an example of how a person in this situation may need the help of another person on how to correctly allocate their sources. I feel there should be a government building in the neighborhoods for people to go and get these flyers with provided resources as well as a financial advisor to help the people.

In lecture we discussed a book by C. Wright Mills where he states, “When, in a city of 100,000, only one man is unemployed, that is his personal trouble, and for its relief we properly look to the character of the man, his skills, and his immediate opportunities. But when in a nation of 50 million employees, 15 million men are unemployed, that is a public issue, and we may not hope to find its solution within the range of opportunities open to any one individual.” It is true that there is no one solution to help everyone struggling with poverty but there can be many small solutions that can help a handful of people which leads to bigger solutions. I feel starting with the solutions stated may potentially help and, if not possible, perhaps create more solutions that could build up to the ones mentioned above. Examples could include having flyers listing available resources mailed to all residents, having free government access to financial advisors, or at least outlines of possible financial organization templates given as well in the mail. Every step to improvement, even a failed attempt, is still a step forward in change for the better.