Housing & Community Development

The adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2021/22 of $102,674,760 reflects a net decrease of $28,153,390 from the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Adopted Budget. Major changes include the following:

Increase in salary and employee related expenses* by $423,610
Increase in Mayor and Council priorities for the Community Safety Program** by $533,240
Decrease in services by $25,824,980
Decrease in supplies by $381,200
Decrease in Capital Improvement Projects by $3,232,560

*5 new full-time equivalent employees have been added to the Fiscal Year 2021/22 Adopted Budget.

**4 new full-time equivalent employees have been added to the Homeless Support Outreach Progam for the Fiscal Year 2021/22 Adopted Budget.

Trends

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, City of Tucson experienced many families with loss of income, falling behind on rent and utilities, and food insecurity. The department has been focusing on reducing public housing vacancies. Drafting of a transformation plan for the Choice planning grant area, known as Thrive in O5, for the revitalization of housing, and reduction of crime in the area. Greater collaboration and funding with nonprofit partners through the implementation of P-CHIP Plan and funding process.

Accomplishments

Housing and Community Development (HCD) was tasked with assisting families on the waitlist for affordable housing, HCD was able to offer housing to over 965 families. Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher program made significant improvements with timeliness of inspections and housing payments. The inspection time dropped from an average of 13 days to 4 days and HCD decreased the average time of the first housing assistance payment from 39 days to 15 days. Due to the challenges of congregate shelters, HCD in collaboration with community partners, utilized hotels for persons who were COVID-19 positive or at high risk for COVID-19 and experiencing homelessness. As of this date, over 950 people have been sheltered and over 300 have been connected to permanent housing.

Future Objectives

HCD will be seeking the possibility of purchasing hotels for the use of bridge and supportive housing for persons experiencing homelessness. HCD will also develop a strategy and obtain Council approval for Public Housing Repositioning Plan. Other important objectives are to implement development strategies to expand affordable housing, submit Choice Implementation Application, develop interdepartmental strategies to reduce homelessness in coordination with Community, maintain Section 8 utilization at 105% of funding, and reach a public housing vacancy rate of less than 2%.