Local opinion: STAR Village pilot is effort to aid most vulnerable

In 2022, my predecessor Steve Kozachik advocated along with the Flowing Wells Crime Free Coalition, La Frontera, and others to establish a designated safe sleeping/camping space for unsheltered people in Tucson. At that time, however, Phoenix was in the process of dismantling its very large designated space, known as the Zone near downtown, due to complaints from residents and businesses. It made sense to pause and learn from Phoenix’s experience. The city has since set up a more supervised and well-managed safe space, accommodating up to 300 people.

This year a team from Tucson visited the new Phoenix location, as well as a smaller safe space in Las Cruces known as Hope Village. Most importantly, a community leader with extensive experience serving those unhoused, came to Call to the Audience at a Mayor and Council meeting with a well-researched, modest proposal — a one-year pilot to serve up to 25 of the most vulnerable unsheltered individuals in our community, STAR Village: Serving Together and Rebuilding.

When I was appointed to serve Ward 6 on the City Council I promised to follow through on the priorities Council Member Kozachik had outlined. The pilot program responds to what the city hears from our community — do more, try new approaches, help those most vulnerable and help reduce the pressures and impacts of homelessness on neighborhoods and businesses.

With urgency, many city and partner groups have been working to give this proven model a try. We reviewed city and county owned properties that could be considered. All but one were not possible for a range of reasons (no water/electric access, in DM flyover zone, too near a school or daycare, etc.). I want to personally apologize to the Ward 3 neighborhoods and business owners for not recognizing sooner that our urgency — justified and an echo of community cries — meant identifying the site in Sugar Hill with same-time outreach rather than more consultation in advance.

A key goal of the pilot is to stop having to call on TPD to move so many people from stoops and parks and alleys and washes to create an alternative for at least 25 people on any given night (150-200 over the pilot year). By focusing outreach and referrals from the immediate surrounding area, we will be monitoring with area residents and businesses whether the relief we expect takes hold. A cleanup crew run by Old Pueblo Community Services (which bridges unsheltered people into work, healthcare and treatment options) will also be assigned to the immediate area. The reason the Crime Free Coalition supported the model in 2022, I suspect, is because when these models have been tried in other cities crime in the immediate vicinity goes down. And with our partners Primavera and Old Pueblo Community Services (and supporters La Frontera, Gospel Rescue Mission and others), this new pathway into safety for people at risk on the streets can in fact be an approach leading to healing, homes and better lives.