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
Adrian: Thank you for the update. 1)a)Point in time totals were down this year, weren’t they? b) as is enrollment at the uofa, down 18-23%, c) as is total city population? d) as are employment opportunities, e) as are all the small businesses in town? 2) Aren’t we just dealing with semantics on the question of “planning”? One can directly plan to do something making it your primary focus, on the one hand, and then on the other hand, one can plan to do or not other things, knowing what results will be? So as you say “if you build it they will come”. Basically what the city is saying and doing is extending an invitation to all “homeless” people to come and “homeless” in Tucson where the COT provides all you need. Instead of dealing with the crime, helping small businesses and even going out and soliciting businesses to come here (an extremely difficult job under the current circumstances, the COT is inviting the cream of the crop here? The kings and queens have it all upside-down, and backwards instead of forewords? Intentional destruction of a wonderful city. Thanks again.
Response to Tom:
Thanks for asking for clarification on the point about TOC plans to increase the homeless population 4x by 2030. It would have been more accurate to say TOC plans to quadruple the number of homeless shelter beds. That is why they want to build more shelters. Point-in-time counts for Pima County estimate the homeless population at around 1,000 people. COT plans over 4,000 shelter beds. If you build it, they will come.
The Daily Star article I mentioned with this info can be found here (https://tucson.com/news/local/government-politics/article_c36ebe93-fbfa-4600-bb70-0c7f547c7732.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share). It’s the EcoNorthWest Study. I got the target year wrong, though. It’s 2045, not 2030. I regret the error.
You continue to do great work! Thank you!!
I have forwarded your letter w/some customization…. Please… Everyone on here do the same and make your voices heard!
Silence is NOT golden!!! Take 5-10 minutes to help out! Best, John O
Adrian. We quote part of your comment: “The Tucson Daily Star has reported COT plans to quadruple the homeless population in Tucson by 2030.” Do we read this correctly that the COT actually PLANS to either import more “homeless” or impoverish many more local residents into “homeless” status? Can you cite us to a date for the article? Thanks.
You really need to nail down the city on what they think a “homeless” person is. We can’t really discuss the homeless issue if we haven’t decided who is “homeless”. For example, are these people homeless: 1) historically societies have dealt with groups of people who had no interest in participating in society, but rather preferred to live on the periphery in tents, huts, etc. They just opted to not be part of the community, other than to seek benefits from those people who do live and work in the community-are these people homeless? Will they even move into any “section 8” housing? No, they will continue to live their nomadic lifestyle coming around when they want supplies and services? 2) If there is a place for you but you DECIDE not to take it because you cannot use drugs there, or have to go to bed at a certain time, or pray, or take a shower-if you choose to live in the wash instead, are you homeless? You are being offered a “home” are you not?
This is a big distraction as the experts will advise we do not have a homeless problem we have a drug CRIME problem which the kings and queens need in order to carry out their agendas. Crime is the true problem here. Money being expended on the “homeless” should be spent suppressing crime.
The city obviously is doing nothing to discourage these “homeless” people and instead they do everything they can to encourage this lifestyle- WHY? They are going to turn Tucson into a large blue voting block, with a large group of people who rely on the city for sustenance and ergo they will buy their votes.
Please send the emails to everyone king and queen, not just your councilqueen or king. And paper it, save it, document it. They are going to do what they want, BUT after these “section 8” units are placed in your neighborhood, crime increases, you or a neighbor or a loved one gets hurt, if you go to court, it will be admissible to establish many elements of any civil lawsuit, or even criminal proceeding. Don’t expect a response.
Leave a comment