Sure. This article is a good example of the work they have done in Times Square...Over the course of about 5 years, the service provider community packaged customized housing and services, enticing all but one person from the streets. And they haven't given up on him. If it happened there, it can happen in Tucson. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion…
I can tell you that we interviewed 262 people experiencing street homelessness in Maricopa County. Many of them said they had no interest in shelter...but if they had an opportunity to have a place of their own, they would engage. And engage they have. The first 4 men we housed had collectively been on the streets 60 years! They each have unique barriers and needs - health, mental health, addictions, etc. The "one size fits all" approaches didn't work for them, so we are working hard to learn a lot about each of them and package services accordingly. While all 4 were abusing substances while on the streets, they are all voluntarily sober now. Since they have housing and an unconditional system of support, they are free to focus on health and quality of life. It's really remarkable.
I respectfully disagree with 2 gentlemen in the article. It is a common misconception that people prefer/choose to live on the streets. It's fairly well-documented that approximately 2% of the street population wants to stay on the streets. The remaining 98% would get off the streets if offered the appropriate combination of housing and services.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion…
I can tell you that we interviewed 262 people experiencing street homelessness in Maricopa County. Many of them said they had no interest in shelter...but if they had an opportunity to have a place of their own, they would engage. And engage they have. The first 4 men we housed had collectively been on the streets 60 years! They each have unique barriers and needs - health, mental health, addictions, etc. The "one size fits all" approaches didn't work for them, so we are working hard to learn a lot about each of them and package services accordingly. While all 4 were abusing substances while on the streets, they are all voluntarily sober now. Since they have housing and an unconditional system of support, they are free to focus on health and quality of life. It's really remarkable.