City of Tucson Hires Housing First Program Director
The City of Tucson has hired Ms. Brandi Champion to serve as Tucson's first Housing First Program director. Ms. Champion began her new position with the City of Tucson last Monday, Oct. 11. Ms. Champion has extensive experience in this field of service, both in the nonprofit and government sectors, having begun her career in our community working as a case manager in 2010 and then continuing to advance into positions of increasing responsibility, including financial and management positions, having most recently served as the City of Tucson's Continuum of Care project coordinator with the Department of Housing and Community Development.
In her new role, Ms. Champion will lead the effort in ending homelessness through a Housing First lens, which is the approach in which the solution to homelessness is both housing and an array of support services for the individual or family. Ms. Champion will foster new partnerships within the City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona, and with nonprofit partners that will serve our residents who do not yet have an address of their own.
In addition, Ms. Champion will play a critical role within the Mayor's Community Safety, Health and Wellness Program, which will provide a holistic approach to providing safety and mental health services to Tucson residents through the coordination of City programs and resources. She is excited to lead this newly formed position and to carry out the vision set by the Mayor and Council.
"I am thrilled to welcome Brandi Champion to this inaugural role of Housing First Director," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "Homelessness and providing for our unhoused residents are significant issues in our city. The Housing First model has been successful throughout the pandemic, and it is important for us to continue with our goal of eliminating homelessness with Brandi leading the charge."
Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues.
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