It’s difficult to believe that we’re nearing the end of October. The sun is rising later and setting earlier, Halloween is just around the corner, and I still haven’t settled on a costume. I hope our Friday newsletter finds you and yours in good spirits.  

The artwork she’s holding depicts projects Johanna was instrumental in advancing including Tucson House, Milagro on Oracle, Sugarhill on Stone, Amazon Flats, El Rincon, Simmons on Stone. All told that's over 700 units of affordable housing stewarded under Johanna's leadership, an incredible contribution to Tucson. 

The W6 team and I wish Johanna all the best as she embarks on a new chapter! 

The blue and orange treats in the box I’m holding are mini mousse cakes (blueberry and pumpkin cheesecake, respectively) that are virally famous online. They’re from the Tucson Chocolate Factory, and there are a bunch of other flavors that are shaped like various fruits and treats.  

After a few hours, we headed over to Armory Park as the sun was setting to catch the first-ever SPLENDOR live music series. It was magical! Thanks so much to Laurie Starr for tirelessly working to pull it all together. I loved seeing Derechos Humanos tabling there, as well.  

Here’s a couple of photos with a few folks essential to ensuring a successful event-- Laurie and Mike and Michael from Parks & Recreation—as well as the band, Conjunto LaPira, who brought so much joy and liveliness to the crowd at the park with their unique blend of cumbia, ska, rock, norteño, bolero and poetry.  

Monday morning kicked off with a virtual check-in with City Manager Thomure in advance of the following day’s meetings immediately followed by a virtual check-in with Mayor Romero. These are opportunities to review agenda items, flag questions or concerns, and give a heads up about any plans to pull items from consent or make motions.  

Fortunately, my next briefing was also virtual— I jumped into our call with Housing and Community Development as soon as the Mayor and I wrapped up our conversation! I had just enough time to make a few phone calls before our weekly all-staff meeting that afternoon. The rest of that afternoon flew by between prepping for the next day’s Study Session and Regular Meeting and Wednesday morning’s panel.  

W6 Chief of Staff Kylie and I started our Tuesday morning extra early, driving out west to La Paloma for the annual SAHBA (Southern Arizona Home Builders Association) Government Affairs Breakfast. So much of what the event speakers touched on are things the Ward 6 team and I support and care a lot about: housing, affordability, good jobs, technical education training, and more. Our areas of concern overlap more than the divisive rhetoric of mainstream and social media would have us believe.  

That afternoon, Study Session began with an Executive Session at 1pm. The Regular Meeting agenda wasn’t so jam-packed, and we wrapped up before 8pm. Between meetings, we even had a chance to swing by a drop box so that Lisa could turn in her ballot! 

Feel free to click over to Mayor & Council Recap for details about the happenings at the table and dais.  

I was up before the sun on Wednesday to walk the dog before biking into the office to participate in a virtual panel called “The Cost of Deportation: Economic Impacts on Arizona,” which is part of a video series called Morning Scoop, hosted by Arizona Capitol Times. It was an honor to be the other elected official on the panel alongside Senator Analise Ortiz, and I really appreciated the opportunity to hear from Gauri Agarwal, State Policy Fellow at the Arizona Center for Economic Policy, and Rodrigo Dorador, an Affordable Housing Developer with Dominium.  

After the panel, we had our usual weekly communications strategy meeting and ended a bit early to carpool over to the corner of Lee and Olsen, near the famous Arizona Inn in the Blenman-Elm Historic Neighborhood. There, we had an excellent and solution-oriented conversation with a group of neighbors who have a keen interest in shaping the new townhome development that was we wrote about in our October 9th newsletter.  

Thursday held a few major highlights, the first of which was the Education Enrichment Fund’s Annual Luncheon. It was such a privilege to be there to see Dr. Alfredo Valenzuela,  known as "Dr. V," receive the Ray Davies Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award. Here’s a beautiful article from last year if you’re interested in learning more about Dr. V: “The music got into my heart,” Mariachi legend Dr. V on 50 years of educating Tucson’s youngest performers" 

It’s late Friday afternoon as I finish this up. Pretty soon, I’ll bike over to the Kickoff Kiki at Highwire downtown to pick up my packet for tomorrow’s Big Gay 5K—perhaps I’ll bump into Mayor Romero for the third time today! I think that would set a new record.  

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the aforementioned 5K event to run and participate in the general merriment of the event (the gayness, if you will). I’ll be sporting these socks that Big Gay 5K organizer Lee excitedly gave to me when we bumped into each other a couple weeks ago at Poets in the Park. 

In community,

After the recent announcement that Congress Street will be closing to vehicles on Halloween, Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) and Downtown Tucson Partnership (DTP) staff joined Mayor & Council to review the background, pilot plan, and potential next steps. Our office is especially pleased that the closure will now start at 5pm, allowing more people – of all ages – to enjoy the experience. 

In her comments, Council Member Schubert noted that she wants to make sure that Halloween is the beginning of the conversation – not the end. Creating more pedestrian-friendly streets was a central priority of both her campaigns, and throughout her door knocking in Ward 6, she heard overwhelming enthusiasm around reclaiming some of our public streets as places for people, not just cars. As we move through this pilot, she asked that we look at meaningful measures – not only traffic safety, emergency response, transit access, and cost, but also harder-to-quantify measures such as connection to community and positive downtown experiences.  

She offered a motion that the City Manager come back with a work plan for Mayor & Council that identifies stakeholders, community organizations, academic partners, local nonprofits, residents, and a public process to lay out a strategy for developing a phased approach to bringing pedestrian-focused street closures, downtown, and elsewhere in Tucson, as appropriate. The motion passed unanimously. We look forward to sharing updates and findings related to the Halloween pilot as well as future pedestrian-focused streets! 

Study Session also include an update from Planning and Development Department (PDSD) leadership about the proposed Community Ordinances & Development Enhancements (CODE) Tucson ‘26 update package. Staff reviewed the community engagement process and provided an overview of the proposal, which includes changes such as removing parking requirements for unstaffed kiosks like water filling stations, codifying new middle housing standards, and expanding where businesses like acupuncture clinics and accessory food services are allowed in an effort to reduce unnecessary development barriers and reactivate vacant commercial properties.  

Unsheltered Homelessness Updates: This updated covered the latest data and developments related to Tucson-Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH), Safe City Deployments, the Parks and Community Engagement (PACE) team, City-owned shelters, and a new Community Storage program. In her comments, Council Member Schubert thanked staff for their work and requested that future updates also include data related to positive housing placements, service connections and persistence, and staffing needs and opportunities. Much of this data is already collected and compiled through TPCH, though Mayor & Council were careful to note that reductions in federal funding are impacting our community’s ability to operate at full capacity and achieve the outcomes we’re aiming for. 

We appreciate hearing from constituents during Call to the Audience. Thank you to everyone who showed up to share their feedback directly with the Mayor & Council during this time and in the many public hearings. Here were topics raised during this week’s meeting:      

• Support for TEP – 3 speakers 

• Request for a resolution to cancel contracts with entities engaged in border wall construction – 2 speakers 

Additional speakers covered topics including concerns about crime; enforcing and strengthening the Dark Sky Ordinance; gratitude for City efforts relating to small business, parks, and public safety; issues at nonprofit affordable housing apartments; opposition to TEP; request for a new political party option; support for local journalism (specifically the Arizona Luminaria), and zoning/Area Plan concerns. 

Have you or someone you know experienced displacement due to past government actions, discriminatory housing practices, or rising housing costs? The City of Tucson wants to hear from you. At the direction of Mayor and Council, the City’s Housing and Community Development Department is exploring a Community Preference Policy (CPP) for City-owned affordable housing. Through community listening sessions, we want to hear about residents’ experiences with displacement, its lasting impacts, and what the City should consider as we explore this policy. 

The City of Tucson’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department released the Requests for Proposals (RFPs) on October 19 for Fiscal Year 2028 funding through the People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan (P-CHIP) Call for Projects. 

Approximately $2.6 million is anticipated to be available to eligible nonprofit organizations and City departments for programs and services that advance HCD’s goals of creating equitable pathways for Tucson residents to thrive. 

Applications will open on October 27, 2026, at 12 PM MST through Neighborly and will be accepted through December 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST. 

Funding is anticipated from three sources:

As we continue our evolution of community-centered offerings, we are thrilled to formally announce The Ward 6 ROSE Center!  

The ROSE Center will be operating in the same area used for our Chill Space over the past summer. We decided to rename this portion of the program in order to more clearly separate it from the Chill Space program, which is focused around being a cooling center. ROSE stands for Resources, Outreach, Showers, and Education – all of which will be offered, starting November 2nd, 2026 and streteching on until late May (at which point we plan to shift back to The Chill Space model.) 

 The ROSE Center program will be open Monday – Friday, 11am –3pm. Offerings will include multiple services, as well as showers. Each day, separate providers will be on-site. A rotating and consistent schedule will be distributed throughout the community (first draft coming soon!) to help people know what to expect and plan for their visit. Think of it as an ongoing resource fair! 

Interested in supporting The ROSE Center? We are currently looking for two volunteers interested in assisting us as we kick things off. Additionally, donations for the ROSE Center can be dropped at the front entrance (near the front desk) of the Ward 6 office. Travel-size hygiene items, granola bars, and individually wrapped snacks are especially appreciated! 

We are also excited to share that Victoria, who co-directed our Chill Space, is staying on to lead the ROSE Center as well. If you have questions or want more information, please feel free to reach out to her directly – Victoria.Devasto@tucsonaz.gov

Right to Safe and Habitable Housing 

• Tenants have a right to safe, habitable housing, but withholding rent due to unsafe conditions can still lead to eviction, except in very limited circumstances. 

• Under Arizona law (ARS § 33-1363), tenants may make certain minor repairs and deduct the cost from rent if they follow specific requirements, including providing landlord written notice, a 10-day waiting period, use of a licensed contractor, and cost limits. 

City of Tucson Code Enforcement 

• Tucson Code Enforcement addresses minimum housing standards, including plumbing, electrical hazards, interior safety, and structural issues. 

• Before filing a complaint, notify your landlord in writing and keep records. Report violations by calling 311 or online at the Code Enforcement Website. 

Arizona Attorney General’s Office 

• The Housing Justice Unit addresses widespread housing issues, including concealed defects, unreliable utilities, and predatory rent-hiking schemes. 

• The office generally does not represent individual tenants but may investigate serious health and safety concerns, especially ones that affect multiple residents. 

• Report unsafe conditions or unclear fees through the Consumer Complaint portal or by calling 520-628-6648. 

• The Civil Rights Division investigates housing discrimination based on protected characteristics, including race, national origin, sex, religion, disability, and familial status. Click here to learn more or file a Civil Rights complaint. 

Retaliation and Tenant Organizing 

• Landlord retaliation for reporting health and safety violations or joining a tenant union is prohibited by state law. However, there are very few protections against non-renewal of leases for most renters (those who qualify under the AZ Mobile Home Park Landlord Tenant Act have the added protection of requiring “Good Cause” for non-renewal of a lease). 

• Organizing with neighbors, understanding your rights, and documenting landlord communications can help tenants protect themselves and strengthen their collective voice. 

Ward 6 Celebrates Alison Hughes’ Induction into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame 

Ward 6 is proud to celebrate Catalina Vista resident Alison Marshall Hughes, who was inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame on October 19. A lifelong advocate for civil rights, women’s empowerment, and equitable access to healthcare, Alison has spent more than five decades making Arizona a better place for all. After moving to Tucson in 1970, she helped establish some of the community’s earliest organizations dedicated to advancing women’s rights, including the Tucson Center for Women and the Rape Crisis Center. She secured critical funding to expand educational and career opportunities at Pima Community College and became the first Executive Director of the Tucson Women’s Commission, where she championed initiatives supporting Native American women, women in the trades, and other underserved populations. She also helped establish the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame in 1981, making her own induction especially meaningful. 

Alison's extraordinary career also includes decades of leadership in rural healthcare through the University of Arizona's Center for Rural Health, where she worked to expand access to medical services in rural and tribal communities. She played an important role in developing the Arizona Telemedicine Program and supporting the Tohono O’odham Nation’s healthcare system, including its long-term care center. Her service on numerous state and national commissions helped shape policies addressing healthcare access, rural equity, and civil rights. Beyond these accomplishments, Alison has mentored generations of women and demonstrated how sustained civic engagement can create lasting institutional change. Ward 6 congratulates Alison on this well-deserved recognition and thanks her for a lifetime of service, advocacy, and dedication to making our community more just and inclusive. 

You can learn more about Alison Hughes’ biography and contributions in this 2022 oral history recorded for the Archive Tucson project by Aengus Anderson. 

‘Tis the season for community clean ups! Ward 6 staff is working with Team Up to Clean Up on three upcoming community events. Team Up to Clean Up is our citywide initiative to keep neighborhoods safe, clean, and beautiful. So far this year (as of earlier this week), the Team Up to Clean Up crew has already collected 3,422 bags of litter over 90 cleanups, utilizing 700 volunteers.  

The City of Tucson Team Up to Clean Up webpage includes information about how to organize your own event and connect with City of Tucson support, such as supply requests for gloves, grabbers, and trash bags and coordinating trash pickup and disposal. We also invite community members to join Ward 6 staff at one of our three upcoming clean ups – flyers also found below! 

Speedway/Alvernon Area Cleanup 

Thursday, November 5th 

8-10am 

Meet at Cactus Jack Car Lot (3925 E Speedway) at 8am 

More info and register here: 11/05/26 Ward 6 TUCU 

 

Armory Park Area Cleanup 

Thursday, December 10th 

8-10am 

Meet at corner of 3rd Ave / 12th St at 8am 

More info and register here: 12/10/26 Ward 6 TUCU

Join the City of Tucson’s Environmental Services team and Ward 6 staff for a Recycling 101 session! 

The Recycling 101 Workshop is a 60-minute educational session exploring how we can reduce waste and make more sustainable choices at home, at work, and in our community. Participants will learn Tucson’s recycling guidelines for paper, metal, plastic, and glass, along with ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle correctly. The workshop also covers waste diversion options and proper household hazardous waste disposal. Join us to discover simple ways to help create a more sustainable Tucson!

 

Recycling 101 with Ward 6 

Thursday, October 28th  

5:30 – 7:00 PM 

In-Person: Ward 6 Office – 3202 E 1st Ave 

Virtual Link: Microsoft Teams - https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/239794755359483?p=BYhB29rnCYik1HkKql  

Meeting ID: 239 794 755 359 483 

Passcode: bn2Xn65J 

Ward 6 is happy to share information about upcoming Neighborhood Association and community coalition meetings in our newsletter. If we are missing a meeting that you are used to seeing here, please reach out ward6@tucsonaz.gov to help us keep our list updated!  

 

Literacy Connects - Call for Volunteers

Do you want to make a difference in people's lives? Are you looking for a fulfilling way to feel connected to your community? 

Literacy Connects is seeking volunteer coaches to help children become confident readers and volunteers to help adult students with basic literacy, GED prep, and career goals. 

Visit literacyconnects.org today to help change our world for the better. 

If you are familiar with the Transit App, you may notice that the Pro features that are typically an extra cost are now included for FREE in the City of Tucson and surrounding Sun Tran service areas. 

If you are not familiar with the Transit App, you can watch Sun Tran’s explainer videos: 

Download Transit 

How to Use the NEW Sun Tran App 

Note: if you press *GO* for your route, you will be asked to complete a user survey, where you can give valuable feedback directly to Sun Tran about your ride.  

• Website: Allows you to see all your options for Request Category in one easy-to-navigate place. You can also choose the location of your request on an interactive map: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Residents/311-Service-Request-Portal 
• App: Gives you the ability to input your request category, intersection, and email address to receive an immediate email confirmation that your request was submitted. Under the "Requests" tab at the bottom of the app, you can also see a map of all existing map of all the existing 311 contacts your neighbors and fellow Tucsonans have submitted across the city, request status, and submission date.
  
• Call: And of course, as always - you can dial 311!