tackling the housing crisis
In recent years many members of our community have lost their homes as housing prices have skyrocketed. Housing construction already struggled to keep up with demand, and the Covid pandemic stalled construction even further. We do not have enough housing in Tucson. We need to build it, and as quickly as we can without being reckless.
Homelessness has put a strain on our community resources. We have shelters and services, but not enough. Building new housing—affordable housing, luxury apartments, single family homes, townhouses, all of it—will help our supply of housing balance out with demand once again and cause prices to drop all around. Lower housing costs means more people will be able to transition off of the streets, lightening the burden on our shelters. The effects will ripple throughout our city and improve our quality of life all around.
Living on the streets is difficult. Most people don’t choose it for themselves. This desperation has contributed to an upswing in substance abuse. We definitely need to address the spread of harmful drugs in our city, but unless we address the root causes such as homelessness the solutions will continue to be unmanageable.
We must work toward long-term solutions while also managing our short-term crises.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t address water issues. More housing means more water usage, so we have to be mindful of what we use. The most efficient use of water comes from high-density housing, so I particularly support high-density housing projects. That said, Tucson does a good job of being a water-conscious city; we can and should build in a way that reflects that water consciousness. We cannot forget that we live in a desert.
I intend to be a city council member who helps our city build the housing it needs responsibly.