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Homelessness in Arizona has continued to decrease in the past three years, according to a federal report.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that about 10,600 people were homeless in Arizona this year, compared to more than 13,700 in 2010.
“In Tucson and Pima County this year, there were about 2,200 homeless individuals counted," said Ed Cabrera, a senior management analyst with HUD’s regional office. "That’s a lot and it certainly points to the work left for us. But when you look at and compare those figures to what we counted in 2010 you can see that significant progress has been made, nearly a 40 percent decrease.”
Cabrera speculated the decline could be related to local leaders working to end homelessness in their communities.
For instance, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and other officials had announced that the city wants to house all homeless veterans in the city by 2015.
In the first 100 days of the campaign, Tucson has housed 223 veterans and their families, according to the mayor.
