Tucson faces significant challenges with intergenerational poverty. Despite the availability of various assistance programs, low-income residents continue to experience service gaps, with critical needs unmet. High housing costs and ongoing financial instability make it difficult for many to cover basic expenses or manage unexpected emergencies, according to data collected by University of Arizona students.

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The students presented their findings to over 100 community members, nonprofit organizers and policymakers at the University of Arizona Poverty in Tucson Field Workshop's eighth annual community forum, held at Habitat for Humanity on Dec. 17. The event marked the conclusion of the students' semester-long efforts to gather data from low-income households across Tucson and Pima County.

The annual workshop, which began in 2015, is a student-driven project facilitated by the U of A School of Sociology in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In 2024, in collaboration with the city of Tucson and Habitat for Humanity, the hands-on undergraduate course brought 44 students together to explore issues facing residents in Tucson. 

The project focused specifically on helping with a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods program. During the fall semester, students interviewed 350 low-income Tucson residents, focusing on two key neighborhoods: the 29th Street Thrive Zone – the area between Alvernon Way and Craycroft Road, and 22nd Street and Golf Links Road – and the Thrive in the 05 Zone in the Oracle and Miracle Mile area of the 85705 ZIP code. They also interviewed applicants on the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list, which has 20,000 people.

According to the findings, 42% of the interviewed households experience food insecurity, and 74% are burdened with unaffordable housing costs. The statistics highlight the struggle many Tucsonans face, even as programs designed to help remain underused.

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"The service gap we observe every year, where households identify unmet needs like food insecurity and overburdened housing costs – but also are not utilizing social services – seems to have grown larger," said Brian Mayer, a professor of sociology and director of the Tucson Poverty Project.

While the pandemic brought significant federal aid to renters to prevent evictions, those funds have been exhausted and Arizona is struggling to meet ongoing demand, Mayer said. 

"Rents are still increasing, and wages are largely stagnant – so lots of folks are feeling pressured to move and find someplace cheaper. Forty-four percent of all the renters we spoke with feel some kind of pressure to move, largely due to the threat of rent increases," Mayer said. 

The survey showed an average rent increase of $200 per year. 

The Poverty in Tucson Field Workshop is a unique resource in helping Tucson address its housing affordability issues, said Kevin Dahl, Ward 3 council member. 

"These are highly educated folks who are starting to tackle the most pressing question in my ward, which is, how do we affordably house people?" Dahl said. "I know that neighborhood leaders have looked to the university to have student projects help. So, coming up with innovative (ideas) is very exciting." 

Struggling to reach essential services

Services like housing and food assistance are available to Tucsonans, but not all those who qualify are getting what they need. That service gap is partially due to accessibility and application process challenges, Mayer said. 

"Accessing social services is very difficult. Being aware they are out there requires better communication and outreach on the part of the state and nonprofits," Mayer said. "Even if one is aware that a program could help, applying is very difficult and some would claim, intentionally so."

U of A seniorAlysse Razo spoke with participants about living conditions, and nearly 40% reported their homes being too hot and said they regularly experience high utility costs.

Razo said many residents knew about services that would assist with heat mitigation or utility bills but said the process was too prohibitive. 

"It is so challenging for participants to access government or state-sponsored services in neighborhoods," Razo said. "Even though nearly half the people felt their home was too hot, 61% of our respondents said it was just too challenging to access services."

Some of the reported barriers to accessing services included insufficient messaging by social service agencies, business hours that do not accommodate people who work daytime hours, and prohibitive public transportation routes and schedules. 

Student Alexia Boswell, who focused on food insecurity, said many of her respondents cited difficult public transportation schedules. 

"One participant told me he had to schedule things two hours in advance to be able to get to the grocery store because the bus was his main transportation" said Boswell. "He would go to the store and get stuck at a bus stop for an hour with all his fresh groceries."

Madison Rutherford, a senior involved in the project, wrote an op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star, citing additional barriers for services: "These barriers often include information not in their language, websites are too confusing, residents don't have technology, not enough workers are available to respond on the websites or calls. Not everyone has access to the internet, or the technology required to engage with these platforms, leaving many isolated from essential services."

Many Tucsonans struggling just to get by

Each year, the survey includes a question about "getting by," to help assess how households view their financial picture rather than using measures such as federal poverty guidelines.  

"Of employed respondents, only 48% said they were making enough money to get by," student Nghishawn Nguyen said. 

Only 23% of respondents reported having some money left over at the end of the month for savings, which means unexpected circumstances could be financially detrimental.

"When an emergency occurs, most of these households would have a hard time coming up with funds to deal with the problems we all encounter in our lives – an unexpected visit to the doctor or emergency room, a flat tire from Tucson's many potholes or a sudden change in income – leading to difficult times," Mayer said. "This can lead to falling behind on rent, the possibility of eviction and having to move to a lower-quality home."

Mayer believes it is essential to improve access to services by offering more points of contact. 

"This could involve integrating social services at community hubs like hospitals or food banks, employing community health workers, and placing social workers in schools to support families directly," Mayer said. 

Student Alysse Razo, who plans to pursue a master's degree in social work, said participating in the Poverty Project has provided her with valuable skills to help address the needs of Tucson's underserved communities. 

"Speaking to residents about their needs and instability is a big part of social work and case management," Razo said. "It's about figuring out what their needs are and connecting them to services."