STAR Village homeless encampment moves out of pilot phase, into year 2

Tucson’s “safe sleeping site,” the city’s first sanctioned homeless encampment, is
changing its primary operator after a yearlong pilot phase.

Standing Together and Rebuilding Village, called STAR Village, is now primarily
operated by nonprofit Old Pueblo Community Services, while still receiving some
funding from the city of Tucson and remaining on city property on Grant Road.

“Very little is going to change, other than the operations piece,” said Assistant City Manager Liz Morales.

She expects a “seamless” transition of responsibilities from Primavera to OPCS, she said.

STAR Village first opened at 244 E. Grant Rd. in October 2025, and has since housed up to 25 women or nonbinary
people at a time.

Each resident is provided their own tent and cot for sleeping, while sharing communal kitchen and restroom spaces.

During the pilot phase, the Primavera Foundation handled the site’s daily operations, while OPCS provided case management and other services
to residents.

Attempts on Friday to reach both OPCS and Primavera for additional comment were unsuccessful.

Morales told the Tucson Sentinel in February she believed Primavera would not pull out of their arrangement with the city and OPCS after another news outlet reported that they would.

OPCS Tom Litwicki said then his organization was ready to take over operations if necessary.

Morales on Friday said the city and OPCS were still working together to completely secure funding for the site’s second year, and may seek grants and donations to supplement some costs.

The city included $285,371 for STAR Village funding in its budget for the 2027 fiscal year, which was approved last summer.

Over STAR Village’s first year, Mayor Regina Romero and city councilmembers used about $300,000 from their own office budgets toward the site’s operations.

Primavera and OPCS earmarked about $150,000 more.

Morales said Romero and councilmembers still could opt to add more funding from their offices for 2027, but haven’t been asked to by the city.

“It all comes from the same place, anyway,” she said, referring to the city’s overall budget.

Within the first year of STAR Village, city officials said in a one-page report, the site welcomed 138 residents and 122 of them have already moved on.

Those residents were able to get much-needed rest in a safe place, which is often hard for those experiencing homelessness to find.

They also had help finding support through housing navigation, health and job-placement programs provided by OPCS.

Of those 122 people, 19 percent were able to secure permanent housing, 14 percent went into emergency shelters and nine percent moved to a treatment facility ot temporary housing, officials said.

Though about 58% of those who stayed at STAR Village went back into homelessness or moved to an unknown destination, officials noted, the national average for residents leaving emergency shelters under the same circumstances amounts to 62 percent.

And, Morales emphasized, the rate of what the city considers “Part 1” crimes – homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and arson – dropped by nearly 10 percent within a one-mile radius of STAR Village.

When plans for the encampment were first announced, many who lived or owned businesses nearby opposed it, concerned that it would draw more criminal activity.

But, according to officials, the site has been under 24/7 surveillance and residents regularly participated in beautification and cleanup efforts in the surrounding neighborhood.

The city’s Multidisciplinary Outreach Team, which seeks to connect members of Tucson’s homeless community with resources they may need, has also been an active presence near STAR Village.

The city also entered into a “good neighbor agreement,” establishing an avenue for neighboring residents and business owners to report any issues and providing them with quarterly updates.

“We’ve held firmly to the good neighbor agreement,” said Morales. “We’ve worked hard to support people in the area, not just the residents at STAR Village.”

As the Tucson and OPCS are moving into the second year of STAR Village, the city is also assessing how its zoning codes could change to allow local nonprofits to establish shelters using a similar model.

Morales said the city hoped, when officials declared a housing and homeless emergency that temporarily loosened city zoning codes at a February meeting, more groups would take up the mantle: “If people want to do this, even though the codes haven’t changed, we’re still very willing to help.”

Looking forward, Morales said, the city and OPCS are still trying to work out a few issues, largely related to Southern Arizona’s climate.

The operators’ second-year priorities include implementing better shading and protection from extreme heat, plus strengthening the site’s power system, making its showers more accessible and providing stronger mental health and crisis resources.

Monsoon storms proved especially challenging for residents living in tents, according to Morales, even though the site got larger and sturdier tents about halfway through the first year.

“When the storms come, there’s still a way to put our clients in a setup where they’re secure and safe,” she said.