It typically takes place on one night during the last 10 days in January. The PIT count, which is facilitated by the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness-a local coalition that serves as the Continuum of Care for Tucson and Pima County-is an attempted count of the number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in the community. While various government entities and nonprofit organizations are working to help get people off the streets, the problem continues to persist raising questions about what is actually needed to build lasting solutions to homelessness in Tucson.įrom 2019 to 2020, the number of unsheltered homeless individuals in Tucson-people sleeping in their cars or on the streets-increased by 60 percent, according to the data collected during an annual Point in Time count. In the last three years alone, different departments within the city of Tucson, Pima County and the state of Arizona have spent more than a million dollars cleaning up the remnants of homeless encampments in the Tucson area. Meanwhile, the municipal costs associated with homeless camps in the city have also increased. Since 2019, the homeless population in Tucson has steadily grown, and the demand for social services has increased along with it. And then people will see you doing that, and automatically, you’re no good because you’re doing it.”Ĭasalvera is just one of a growing number of people who can’t find a place to live. If you can’t get a job, you have to go in a dumpster to get an article of clothing-maybe to go to that interview-because you don’t have the money to buy something to wear. “Even though you know what you do every day and what you try to accomplish. “I can see the looks that you get from people, and it makes you just feel so worthless sometimes,” said Casalvera. She sets up camps, but on more than one occasion, city officials have given her 72 hours to pack up her belongings and move along. She was evicted.Ĭasalvera, 49, has been unable to find a new place to live with an eviction on her record, so she joined Tucson’s growing ranks of homeless people. Officer Malandro looks forward to working in this rewarding position and assisting those in need within the community.Tina Casalvera became homeless in 2019 after she lost her job at Walmart and was unable to pay her rent on time. The position requires close collaboration with neighboring organizations to provide shelter and other critical services that work toward ending homelessness in the City of Largo. Since becoming an Officer at the Largo Police Department four years ago, Officer Malandro has become a member of the Tactical Apprehension and Control (TAC) Team and recently taken over as the Homeless Outreach Liaison for the Problem Oriented Policing Unit. As the Homeless Outreach Liaison, Officer Malandro is able to provide resources to individuals experiencing homelessness that address basic needs and support pathways to housing. Growing up in the Tampa Bay area, Officer Malandro received his Bachelor's Degree from Eckerd College. Informing resource use and support efforts through data trackingįor questions or more information on this effort, contact the Homeless Outreach Team at.Working with businesses and residents to prevent and address homelessness concerns.Directing individuals to the homeless outreach team for support.Protocol for staff interactions with people with experiencing homelessness.The Advisory Committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Largo's Homeless Outreach Team is supported by a multi-department Advisory Committee that includes Parks, Library, Housing, Administration, Fire Rescue, Public Works, and Community Standards, ensuring that efforts have City-wide support.
To address homelessness in our community, the Largo Police Department formed a Homeless Outreach Team that positions designated officers, working directly with social service professionals, to focus specifically on supporting people experiencing homelessness by connecting them to services whenever possible.
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