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
While that decision, on the Navajo Wash, was a win, the sad fact remains that when the city of Tucson is liable, the city referred to is: you , I , and every taxpayer. We are paying if there is a payout. Same with the statute is it, that makes the city responsible to local businesses for vandalism, clean up. etc. It’s nice, but c’mon guys, who is really paying: you i and every taxpayer. Until we make the kings and queens personally civilly and/or criminally responsible for these actions nothing is going to change. They are working within a framework designed to protect moral ethical and legally responsible people and they are using that framework against us.
Take a look at this tweet: tell me this is not an organized attempt to destroy civilization as we know it:https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2107219368107299139
Tom — No, actually, Pima County point-in-time-counts (PIT) for the homeless were upslightly in 2025, the most recent year data is available. Here are the stats:
PIMA PIT COUNTS
Y2025: 2218
Y2024: 2102
Y2023:2209
HOMELESS POPULATIONS IN PIMA
Y2023, Y2024, Y2025
SHELTERED 708; 821; 924
UNSHELTERED 1501; 1281; 1276
But yes, the problems we all know too well with homelessness, crime, addiction, and loss of public spaces ultimately are the result of policy decisions by he City of Tucson (COT). Hedrick Acres successfully argued in our lawsuit against COT over homeless camps in Navajo Wash that City policies of providing tents, tarps, food, clothing, medical care, showers, and transportation made the City liable for the harm created by the homeless camps. The City STILL says tier 2 camps (“self-regulating” camps) are OK despite evidence verified by COT and our attorneys that such camps are a public nuisance.
But saying this is just a matter of semantics goes too far: the world or national economy and Trump policies are not the same as COT homeless policies. I have more hope I can either change TOC policy or vote the bums out than I do that I can change economic conditions around the world or in the USA. I choose to affect change where I can, and resign myself to fate where I can’t.
Donna: Thanks for that stat. We did see it just the other day. What do you mean by “recruit”? Would you by any chance have a source for the stats? Where could look for where these homes are? How many people a week, month, graduate and end up out on our streets? So how many “homeless” are locals and how many have been welcomed here by the kings and queens? This may account, in part, for the number of people we see committing violent crimes here who have recently arrived and/or have connections to other cities? Has anyone conducted an investigation into what sounds like might be a “pipeline” feeding people here for us to deal with? Does anyone want to? This will be a good topic for an email to the kings and queens. For if they know about it and welcome these people here, invite them here, well wouldn’t they be responsible for the actions of their visitors? Sounds more and more like and problem created by the kings and queens. Thanks again.
Know that there are 120+ rehabs and sober homes in Tucson to serve the homeless addicted folks. Each of those rehabs and sober homes recruit addicted people from other areas and states….adding to our homeless population when they are released.
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