TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson-based homeless shelters and advocates say they've been monitoring changes in federal funding and policy for services for those living on the streets.
Thursday, NPR and Bloomberg reported that all of the staff of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness was put on administrative leave. That small, independent agency worked to coordinate federal efforts to end homelessness between multiple departments in Washington. It had fewer than 20 members on staff.
USICH embraced the "Housing First" approach to ending homelessness, which prioritizes finding housing for someone then providing other wrap around services like finding drug treatment or getting on Social Security.
The City of Tucson and many shelters that work with them, including Midtown Tucson transitional shelter St. Francis Shelter Community, follow that model too.
Pima County's annual Point in Time or "PIT" count recorded just over 2,100 people in shelters or on the streets at the beginning of 2025, a slight decrease from the year before. However, nationally, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced homelessness was at a record high in their 2024 count.
“It’s getting worse, and I fear it’s going to get much worse with this current administration,” said Operating director of St. Francis Shelter Community Shawn Milligan.
He says St. Francis hasn't been directly hit by federal funding cuts since they rely largely on local grant and private donors, but he worries grant applications could become more competitive.
Milligan says he's monitoring what's happening in Washington to make sure they can keep the St. Francis doors open for current and future tenants.
“I’ve been in a place where I needed free healthcare; I’ve been in a place where I could have needed food to eat," Milligan said. "You know, we’re all one paycheck away from being homeless.”
KGUN 9 reached out to the city of Tucson's Housing First team but did not hear back in time for this story.
In addition to the shelter community, St. Francis runs a food bank open Saturdays and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.. they operate a cooling center during the summer months and runs Soup Patrol in the winter.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
