CITY RUSHING SHELTERS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS - TCFC EMAIL CALL TO ACTION - PLEASE SEND TODAY!
EMAIL CALL TO ACTION
TUCSON RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES
SUBMIT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY
The City of Tucson is considering significant changes to its zoning rules for homeless shelters and outdoor sleeping areas.
If you share our concerns about these proposed changes, please take a few minutes today to send the letter below to the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and Planning & Development Services.
The City is gathering public feedback right now, and that feedback will be used in developing the proposed zoning amendment before it moves forward in the approval process. Tucson.gov
READ THE DETAILS
Read the latest Tucson Crime Free Coalition newsletter:
STEP 1: COPY THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES
Copy and paste the following into the “To” field of your email:
Mayor.Romero@tucsonaz.gov, cit
STEP 2: COPY AND PASTE THIS LETTER
Subject: Opposition to Proposed Shelter Care Zoning Changes
Mayor and Council,
I am writing to oppose the proposed changes to Tucson's zoning rules for homeless shelters and outdoor sleeping areas.
Homelessness is a serious problem, and people need help. But Tucson has struggled with homelessness for years. This problem did not suddenly begin when the City declared a Housing and Homelessness Emergency in February 2026. The City confirms that the emergency declaration occurred on February 3, 2026. Tucson.gov
I do not believe an emergency declaration should be used to rush permanent changes to our zoning laws or avoid the normal public process. Emergency powers should not become a shortcut around good government.
The City is considering changes to where shelter care facilities can operate and to the zoning requirements that apply to them. These are significant decisions that could affect neighborhoods and businesses throughout Tucson. Tucson.gov
Permanent zoning decisions deserve careful review, public notice, and meaningful input from the people who live and work nearby. An emergency declaration should not be grounds for making haphazard permanent changes to rules that may be difficult to reverse later.
I am asking the City to slow this process down, follow the normal public-review process, and require appropriate safeguards before making permanent changes to Tucson's zoning code.
I oppose:
- Expanding shelters and outdoor sleeping areas without adequate safeguards.
- Reducing parking and other requirements without showing why those changes are necessary.
- Streamlining approvals in ways that reduce neighborhood involvement.
- Using an emergency declaration to justify permanent zoning changes without the normal level of public review.
Please include my comments in the official public record regarding the Shelter Care Zoning Code Amendment.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL TODAY
It takes only a few minutes. Add your name, hit send, and make sure your voice is part of the public record.
Tucson Crime Free Coalition
I just Googled this
Tucson, Arizona is a major hub for rehab and sober living because of favorable local zoning laws, a large network of specialized behavioral health facilities, and a supportive desert climate.
Key Reasons Tucson is a Sober Living Destination
• Favorable Zoning Laws: Tucson permits recovery homes with 10 or fewer residents as a use-by-right in all residential zones without imposing mandatory separation distance rules between homes.
• Extensive Treatment Infrastructure: The city features a dense concentration of medical detox, residential treatment, and dual-diagnosis centers (such as Cottonwood Tucson, Sierra Tucson, and The Haven) that feed directly into transitional and sober living networks.
• Medicaid (AHCCCS) and Private Options: A high percentage of Tucson-based behavioral health and outpatient programs accept Arizona’s Medicaid program (AHCCCS) alongside private insurance and self-pay arrangements, making care accessible to a wide demographic.
• Therapeutic Desert Environment: The region offers a warm, calm, and scenic Southwest setting that many programs utilize for holistic, trauma-informed, and outdoor-integrated therapies (like equine therapy and meditation).
• Established Support Communities: Tucson hosts an active local recovery culture, including deep ties to 12-step networks, peer support groups, and local workforce/employment assistance programs tailored for individuals in transition.
Thank you, Donna, for writing. From what you say: People that are going to go into these “homeless” abodes either: 1) Had a place to stay and blew it by breaking the rules or using(So what makes anyone think they are going to change after they go into a city abode) (and we go back to our question: what is “homeless”-you have a place to stay but do not want to live by any rules) or 2) were recruited here from other areas (So they have not contributed to Tucson yet are going to receive taxpayer benefits either directly from the city or by shelter managers who have a constant stream of clients and most assuredly receive taxpayer assistance.) (So these people aren’t even “homeless”-they’re just visitors here)
So the city facilitates the destruction of our community working hand in hand with the shelter-rehab industrial complex- fair to say? We have locals who can’t buy groceries yet the kings and queens “welcome”(they are a Welcoming committee) these additional burdens on our economic base, people who find Tucson so welcoming that they apparently remain here after they fail in the shelters (which the city encourages in every manner possible and does nothing to discourage). How much of the cost of running these rehab facilities is paid by us, the taxpayers? Would you say we fund 50%, 75%? And do you have any idea what this breaks down to in real dollars? (Somehow we have to get that list you compiled).
Thank you, Donna, for writing. From what you say: People that are going to go into these “homeless” abodes either: 1) Had a place to stay and blew it by breaking the rules or using(So what makes anyone think they are going to change after they go into a city abode) (and we go back to our question: what is “homeless”-you have a place to stay but do not want to live by any rules) or 2) were recruited here from other areas (So they have not contributed to Tucson yet are going to receive taxpayer benefits either directly from the city or by shelter managers who have a constant stream of clients and most assuredly receive taxpayer assistance.) (So these people aren’t even “homeless”-they’re just visitors here)
So the city facilitates the destruction of our community working hand in hand with the shelter-rehab industrial complex- fair to say? We have locals who can’t buy groceries yet the kings and queens “welcome”(they are a Welcoming committee) these additional burdens on our economic base, people who find Tucson so welcoming that they apparently remain here after they fail in the shelters (which the city encourages in every manner possible and does nothing to discourage). How much of the cost of running these rehab facilities is paid by us, the taxpayers? Would you say we fund 50%, 75%? And do you have any idea what this breaks down to in real dollars? (Somehow we have to get that list you compiled).
Sent in response to mayor asst response to letter here. It was a canned response assuming based on my zip that i was only concerned about the Albertson’s rumor.
Jackie,
I am not concerned about Albertson’s. What concerns me is that almost every day there are overdoses and related drug issues on E Speedway, E Broadway, Harrison, Pantano, Camino Seco, and 22nd and Houghton. We saw this same thing before the fraud investigation. It is worse now. In fact there was once an unlicensed sober home on my street. I compiled a list of rehab sober homes and the overdoses are always nearby . What these sober homes do is remove a client who breaks rules or uses and puts them on the street. I am certain that is what is happening. In addition many of these programs recruit addicts from other areas via their websites bringing more to our community. Now you are planning to create shelters to house these same people. Also, you all are moving ahead with your plan no matter how it affects the taxpayers and homeowners like me. Those are my concerns and the concerns of many in Tucson.
One party leadership always leads to extremes. Just another reason to make sure there is better representation on the council and obviously a new mayor.
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