National report shows Arizona with one of the highest rates of homelessness

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new report showed a large increase in Arizonans experiencing homelessness in 2022.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentshowed Arizona had an estimated 13,533 people in 2022 experiencing homelessness.

This ranked Arizona as one of the top 5 states in the country with the highest rates.

Out of the estimated 13,000 people, the department estimated about 8,000 of those people as unsheltered completely.

“This was about 2010,” said Rainbow Southard when looking at a picture of herself.

Faith Abercrombie

This is today.

Faith Abercrombie

Rainbow Southard has about a 30 year history of drug abuse and experiencing homelessness on and off.

“Drug abuse got so bad, that I ended up losing my job. Then I got really bad, and I ended up really homeless and sleeping on different people's couches and then sleeping in like abandoned buildings and such,” said Southard.

This month, she’ll celebrate 4 years of sobriety.

“Without Gospel Rescue Mission, I almost guarantee you I would probably be dead today,” Southard said.

In 2015, she entered Gospel Rescue Mission for employment and housing but not their recovery program.

“I got a house, and I got a job but I ended up relapsing,” said Southard.

A couple years later, she entered the treatment program in 2019. She later graduated from the program.

Gospel Rescue Mission’s CEO said in 2019, they were at full capacity often. Today, they are at 65% capacity with about 100 open beds.

Lisa Chastain said although housing affordability is a part of the homelessness problem, addiction and mental health is what 80% of her guests are experiencing.

"Sometimes all of the above, and so to put all of our efforts and our focus on lack of affordable housing, it just seems like we need to point our attention to the drug epidemic really that is in Tucson and Southern Arizona,” said Chastain.

Southard knows firsthand, the journey isn’t easy.

Now working as a graphic designer for the center, she shares her story to guests hoping to encourage them to create their own before and after.

“I understand how this feels. I understand how that feels. I understand how it is to be in this situation-- and there's hope and hey, look at me, I am here in this position,” said Southard.