A set of wide-ranging policies with the goal of reducing generational poverty and increasing wealth in Tucsonโs underserved communities was approved recently by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
The rub: Transforming the wide range of aspirational goals into effective and doable policy.
The Prosperity Initiative is the result of an over-year-long study and review by a task force that included representatives from several jurisdictions across the county as well as the Tucson Indian Center. It seeks to tackle issues like poverty, affordable childcare and early education, housing, public health, digital inclusion across the county and improving infrastructure in impoverished communities.
The initiative passed with a vote of 3-1 on Dec. 5. Supervisor Steve Christy, the only no-vote, said he didnโt want the board to act until a replacement for Sharon Bronson is named. Bronson resigned in November.
โThis is a historic moment for Pima County,โ Supervisor Chair Adelita Grijalva said at the time of its approval. โThe Prosperity Initiative Policy calls for collaboration with stakeholders and community to embrace a two-generation approach to reducing poverty. With it, we can create better opportunities and improved outcomes for working families. The Prosperity Initiative will help create a more thriving community for all.โ
In an interview last week Grijalva said while tangible, detailed strategies to make the proposed policies be more than just โa piece of paperโ are far from ready, it canโt be a two-generation approach to implementation.
โThe need is there for us to make sure itโs more than just lip service,โ Grijalva said. โBecause if it is, then what an incredible disservice to our community.โ
Since work began in November 2022, the group has โmet with or presented toโ more than 800 people, according to a county news release. They also worked with two University of Arizona sociologists, Brian Mayer and Keith Bentele, to review ideas and relevant research.
โMany communities have high rates of poverty, but the Prosperity Initiative gives us a roadmap based on evidence-based research on how to not just reduce poverty, but build community wealth for generations to come,โ said Bonnie Bazata, the Ending Poverty Now program manager in Pima Countyโs Community & Workforce Development Department, who led the task force.
District 1 supervisor Rex Scott said at the meeting the adoption of these policies โmay be the most significant actions we undertake as a county government.โ
โI am both proud and enthused to vote in favor of these items today... The challenge of addressing generational poverty, which has so many individual and social costs, should be a priority at all levels of government,โ he said. โWe can and should insist that our colleagues at the state and federal levels do their parts to take on all the dire needs and profound concerns associated with generational poverty.โ
The initiative, along with rough implementation ideas for the 13 policies, gives strategies to the county administratorโs office to begin the implementation process, supervisors say.
But donโt expect an immediate impact.
A shift of perspectives towards โtargeting resourcesโ to impoverished communities is needed, Grijalva said, not necessarily more funding or higher taxes.
โ(Weโre) not necessarily dedicating more money, itโs how weโre utilizing the funds,โ she said. โDo we have all our education programs aligned with the goals of the Prosperity Initiative? If it isnโt, then we canโt do it anymore.โ
Grijalva says Bazata and her team are currently developing โimplementation policies.โ Those are expected to come to the board and leaders in other regional jurisdictions in a few months.
But the group is to report back annually and review policy areas twice a year. That means an update to the county should be expected in the summer.
Inspired by the Canadian government, the Prosperity Initiative first hoped to place a price tag on how much poverty costs the state.
โThe Canadian formula measures areas like reduced productivity and economic output, increased costs of crime and increased health expenditures. With this approach it was estimated that poverty in Canada has an annual cost equivalent to 5.62% of the nationโs GDP,โ the initiative says.
Using this formula, โpoverty costs Pima Countyโs economy $2.8 billion per year, nearly the size of the economic impact of tourism in Pima County in 2021,โ according to the initiative report.
โIn Pima County, children have the odds stacked against them,โ the Initiative states, citing a 2015 article by The New York Times, which found, of the nationโs 2,478 counties, Pima County is โamong the worst counties in the U.S. in helping poor children up the income ladder.โ
The 13 policies were developed in three areas: education, critical family resources and โasset building and infrastructure priorities.โ It also included three โcross-policyโ strategies that include more family-focused policies, making a more โclimate-resistantโ community and targeting neighborhood crime
Two policies focus on education by boosting access to quality early childcare and education and to post-secondary education for children from low-income families.
The report says among Arizonaโs counties, Pima has the lowest rate of on-time high school graduations.
Families with children and single parents with children with household incomes below the poverty line are paying up to 54% of their incomes on early childcare and education, Nicole Fyffe, a senior advisor to Pima County administrator Jan Lesher, says in the initiative.
To increase access to childcare and early education, it recommended the county do a better job letting people know of free or reduced-cost options and that the county should work with employers to help employees find less expensive childcare options, among others.
Six policies fall under the โcritical family resourcesโ umbrella, and includes issues around affordable housing, health and addressing the digital divide.
The report cites the UA College of Lawโs Innovation for Justice program, which estimates evictions cost Pima County over $64 million in 2018 alone.
A subsidy program that is especially focused on the underserved communities, like the elderly, disabled and people on fixed incomes, among other recommendations were given. The report says an increase to the supply of long-term or permanently affordable housing on government-owned property is needed.
The two policies addressing health issues seek to increase health coverage, reduce medical debt and lower the rate of unintended pregnancies.
Among the ideas is boosting enrollment in AHCCCS, the stateโs Medicaid program, by training more community-based organizations in the county. Steps to reduce unintended pregnancies include increasing access to contraception and improving education and knowledge around contraceptive options.
The initiative estimates about one-third of all unemployed Pima County residents, about 5,000 people, lack โfoundational digital skills.โ This is what theyโve defined as part of the โdigital divide.โ
Finally, five policies focus on helping families build wealth. Ideas include supporting flexible emergency assistance, help more people start their own business, better transportation options for people to get to jobs and making sure pay and benefits with county employees is inline with the market.
Grijalva agrees with this sentiment.
โPima County, just Pima County (government) alone, has as a 25% unfilled vacancy rate,โ she said. โThat has to change for us to provide the services that are needed.โ
