Poverty

MAP Arizona, a University of Arizona initiative tracking economic, health and education data, estimated 120,000 people in metro Tucson were food insecure in late 2024.

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

It’s time for our community to shift more resources to programs that don't just manage the crisis on our streets but offer a definitive path to permanent self-sufficiency.

Resources available to struggling households need to be more reliable in long-term situations, so residents are not left hanging. This calls for more funds to be allocated to rental assistance programs.

Strengthening tenant protections would allow more people to find housing, and prevent many from losing their housing.