by Cameron Arcand
The Common Sense Institute released a follow-up report on it’s findings from February that determined roughly $1 billion in spending on homelessness from both the private and public sector in Arizona.Â
The new study inquired over 200 homeless care providers about what is needed to help them out, which ultimately drove the conclusion that the crisis as “evolved” but the strategies being employed are largely “outdated.”
“Homelessness in Arizona has reached crisis levels,” Julie Katsel, Jim Kolbe Free Enterprise Fellow, stated regarding the reports findings. “We know that the current systems haven’t solved the problem so far. This report tries to answer why this issue has become so intractable, and what—besides just injecting more money—should be done differently. Improved coordination, more effective interventions, and better rapid response tactics are critical steps we need to take.”
Notably, the study cites the lack of appropriate data, more need for emergency shelters and funding priorities as some of the top issues preventing greater improvement. In addition, the study also makes note of intervention with those who are facing “chronic homelessness” and affordable housing.Â
The report also suggests that an “Incident Command System” to tackle homeless encampments as well as other aspects of the issue could be useful, and suggests that Pima County conduct a “pilot program” to build off the United States Housing and Urban Development system being tried out in Tucson. The purpose of such a program would be to provide a set of standards for different types of groups, both governments and nonprofits, to use when addressing homelessness.Â
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Cameron Arcand is a staff reporter at The Center Square.
