OLD PUEBLO COMMUNITY SERVICES
4501 E 5th Street, Tucson, AZ 85711 www.helptucson.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Since 1996, Old Pueblo Community Services has been providing housing and support services for individuals facing homelessness in Pima County. This includes families, veterans, individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, and those reentering our community post incarceration. We follow a "Housing First" approach, which recognizes that people experiencing homelessness-like all people-need the safety and stability of a home in order to best address challenges and pursue opportunities. We start by housing people directly from the streets, without preconditions. Then we address their underlying issues around mental health, addiction, medical care, income, and education to help integrate and welcome them back into our community.OPCS currently offers the entire continuum of housing models which include; bridge, shelter, transitional and permanent housing as well as substance abuse counseling and life skills for both veteran and non-veteran clients.

When people face homelessness, Old Pueblo Community Services offers housing, counseling and support services to help them transform their lives.

Veteran Recovery Communities Program: OPCS works with veterans who have served in the United States Armed Services including those with PTSD, substance abuse, mental illness, a criminal justice history, and those returning to the community after hospitalization, treatment, and/or combat. The program's goal is to end chronic homelessness among our veteran population. We provide them assistance while they move from street homelessness to permanent supportive housing. This includes housing, clinical treatments, necessity items, and other support services. In 2019, we served approximately 564 veterans at our five veteran communities. We operate this program in partnership with the Veterans Administration, the City of Tucson and other community partners. The program is funded entirely by government grants and contracts.

Reentry Program: Approximately 13,000 prisoners are released every year in Arizona, 2,000 of these former inmates will return to Pima County. These individuals face a range of challenges including housing, substance abuse, mental illness, and difficulty in finding employment. The goal of Old Pueblo's Reentry Program is to help these men and woman reintegrate successfully into our community to prevent recidivism. We offer them housing, counseling, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance and other support services. Last fiscal year our program served 350 individuals, representing 18% of the total reentry population in our county. At exit, approximately 154 obtained permanent housing and 40% had an income. This program is funded primarily by government grants and contract. OPCS Home Fund helps cover the occupancy cost for individuals not eligible for government support.

Supportive Housing Program: This program aims to end homelessness by providing long-term homeless individuals with dignified, supportive housing, without barriers such as pets, partners or active addictions, so they are no longer living on the streets or in shelters. People experiencing long-term homelessness have myriad vulnerabilities. Once housed, individuals can connect with health care providers and case managers, engage in support groups, establish routines, and build relationships with friends and family, and move on to more independent living, decreasing their need for services over time. Clients are screened to determine those with the highest level of need. These are the clients that are housed first. All clients have access to support services through OPCS, as well as with agency in the broader community.OPCS Home Fund: While some of OPCS government funded programs cover all or part of a client's housing fees, some clients do not meet the specific criteria to be eligible for these programs. The OPCS Community Home Fund helps pay for their occupancy cost until they gain income through employment, Social Security, or other sources. The fund pays for rental application fees and deposits for clients moving into Section 8 housing. It also covers specific, emergent needs to remove barriers to housing and employment. In addition, the fund helps meet the basic needs of families with children entering our programs. Last year, we disbursed $102,035 in assistance to clients. The Home Fund is made possible by community grants and individual donations via the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit.Homeless Work Program: Launched in 2016 as a pilot project, the HWP has rapidly grown into a model program that offers individuals a pathway out of homelessness through work, community collaboration, and assistance in navigating support services. Now in its fourth year of implementation, the HWP continues to achieve impressive results. To date, the program has provided employment to 824 homeless individuals. Most importantly, over one third of the participants who left the program are now in permanent housing. In addition to improving lives, the program contributes to the beautification of our city's public spaces and in changing the perception of the homeless in our community. A total of 239,685 lbs. of trash was collected and 262 public sites cleaned since the program was launched. The HWP is made possible through funding from the City of Tucson, Pima County, individual donations via the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, and from community partners like the Tucson Change Movement.

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