Tucson Standard

The Pima County Board of Supervisors is debating possible solutions for the homeless crisis in the county, as officials have estimated that number of homeless people in the county is 1,200, and the number is growing.

Supervisor Steve Christy said the problem is becoming untenable, and alerted citizens that the county will do all it can to help.

"The point we have to get across to our community and convey strongly is we are ready to take action and do something about it now," said Christy, in a story by KVOA.

Homelessness has been linked to increased drug use and the vandalization of businesses, and County Administrator Jan Lesher has suggested building temporary shelters in vacant lots and properties as a makeshift solution.

"We need to make sure both sides of this equation are safe and are secure and this is not a case of if we build it, they will come," Lesher said.

Dan Ranieri, the President and CEO of La Frontera, said a tenement can constructed in a hurry.

"The temporary site, we can get up and running fairly quickly," he said. "It's going to be predominantly with tents. Like an army base, like an encampment that has all the needs that most of the people have on that site that's fairly safe, that's not going to infringe on any neighborhood."

Supervisor Adelita Grijalva wondered whether the idea would work, and whether it would be worth the hassle.

"How do we compel people to stay in this temporary shelter or transition center?" Grijalva asked. "My concern is this solution, that we're trying to create, what kind of problems does it create later on? There needs to be some action, I just don't know if creating a temporary shelter is going to solve that problem."

Supervisor Sharon Bronson agreed with Christy, saying something needed to be done quickly.

"I don't think there's an immediate solution, but there is an ability to give the neighborhoods and the businesses some relief," Bronson said.

Lesher added that some people would gladly accept the help in getting back on their feet, while others won't.

"If people are living in a wash and they don't want to come inside, that's a different person then those that some of us are encountering and seeing who are doing fentanyl and engaging in illegal activity," Lesher said, "That's the group we're going to try and impact and change for their safety as well as the safety of the community."