The Poverty in Tucson Field Workshop, now in its 10th year, culminated its semester-long research effort with a community forum at Habitat for Humanity Tucson on Monday. Students presented their findings to more than 100 community members, nonprofit agencies and local leaders, outlining major poverty-related issues including food insecurity, rising costs, health insurance concerns and transportation barriers.

Launched in 2015 and facilitated by the U of A School of Sociology in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the student-driven workshop provides community partners with local data on the causes and consequences of poverty in Southern Arizona.

In 2025, the research collaboration among the School of Sociology, Habitat for Humanity Tucson, City of Tucson Housing and Community Development, and the Prosperity Initiative supported a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods program, which focuses on Tucson's 29th Street Thrive Zone.

This year, a cohort of 37 students conducted more than 280 interviews with low-income residents across Tucson and Pima County. At the time of the interviews, 117 respondents were living below the poverty line, with 49 reporting extreme poverty, defined as income less than 50% of the poverty line for the household size.

This year's workshop data revealed that the government shutdown deepened financial strain, with 55% of participants dependent on SNAP, 82% facing increased grocery prices and 72% concerned about losing health coverage.

Barriers to food security

Food insecurity continues to be a pressing issue for low-income Tucsonans, exacerbated by the government shutdown and temporary disruptions to SNAP benefits.

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"The 2025 workshop was only two weeks into our data collection when the federal government shutdown led to the disruption of essential social services, including SNAP," said Brian Mayer, a professor of sociology and director of the Tucson Poverty Project. "For the households we interviewed, this was both a major source of stress and anxiety as well as a direct impact on their ability to put food on the table. Rising food prices added to that pressure, with 82% reporting higher grocery costs over the past year."

Rebecca Ursule, a political science major from the Democratic Republic of Congo, joined the class to learn experientially about the Tucson community. She and teammate Sophia Hartel found that many residents facing food insecurity are unable to access local food banks because of transportation barriers.

Respondents cited distance and bus schedules that do not align with food bank hours as obstacles. Ursule suggested improving food access beyond traditional means.

"One recommendation I think could help is using mobile markets," Ursule said. "We have to bring resources to those who need them most."

Hartel said her biggest surprise was realizing that food insecurity affects residents across economic spectrums.

"I interviewed people who were fully employed and still couldn't afford food," she said.

Beyond just high rent

Every year, affordable housing remains a key challenge, according to the data. 

"We focused on housing instability and found that people living in poverty in Tucson, about 76%, were severely housing cost burdened," said Helene Roquebert, a philosophy, politics, economics and law major.

Severe housing cost burden refers to spending over 50% of income on rent. In many cases, respondents reported rent increases of $100 to $600, forcing families to make difficult choices between housing and essentials such as groceries, medicine, or health care.

Mayer noted that worry about losing health coverage was also widespread, with more than half of respondents very concerned about potential Medicaid cuts, adding to daily financial stress.

"Many were unable to save money or turned to 'buy now, pay later' options for basic needs," Mayer said.

Drawing on her team's data, Roquebert said housing instability is driven by factors including evictions, unsafe living conditions and sudden cost increases. She pointed to emergency rental assistance, home repair grants and rebates as short-term supports while emphasizing that closing wage gaps is essential for long-term housing stability.

"About 40% reported living in homes that were too hot during Tucson summers, leading some to turn off air conditioning to save money," Roquebert said. "Higher wages would definitely help families better afford housing, groceries and health care."

Transportation shapes access

Transportation emerged as a significant challenge that compounded other issues, including access to food and health care.

Drawing on workshop data, students Alyssa Esquero and Ava Laphen found that concerns about safety, road conditions, and transit accessibility, ranging from potholes and traffic congestion to construction and fear of crime, shaped how residents used public transportation.

"People who live in poverty, 78% of them, ride the bus regularly, and they are vulnerable," Esquero said.

"Our data show that 60% of those people also do not prefer to walk because of safety issues like crime," Laphen added. "This is a statistic we should be focusing on."

Listening to residents, informing policy

As Tucson continues to grapple with poverty, these student-led findings offer a roadmap for policies and programs informed by those directly impacted.

The workshop exemplifies how experiential learning can benefit both students and the community, fostering empathetic and data-driven research.

Ursule said her takeaway is the importance of people-centered solutions.

"Meeting people where they are at is key," Ursule said.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the annual project goes beyond academics and directly impacts policy.

"Based on previous research and input from Dr. Mayer and his students, we passed the Prosperity Initiative in the city of Tucson under mayoral and council leadership," Romero said. "What I love about the Tucson Poverty Project is that it's not just studying and researching, but it's actually offering tangible, evidence-based solutions to what policymakers need to do to change the narrative and the situation for Tucsonans."