Uniting for Action on Housing and Homelessness in Central Arizona
Arizona Uniters in Maricopa and Yavapai Counties worked across differences to address issues of housing and homelessness: September 2025 - February 2026.
Program Overview
Uniting for Action on Housing and Homelessness was a non-partisan civic participation program that brought together an ideologically, racially, generationally, and geographically diverse cohort of Arizona Uniters, residents of Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, to build relationships, strengthen collaboration skills, and address issues of housing and homelessness. Each team of Uniters in Maricopa and Yavapai counties worked with their community partner to implement an intervention that benefits the Maricopa and Yavapai communities.
Program Goals
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Strengthen individual collaboration skills
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Increase understanding among people with different perspectives and experiences
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Build relationships across differences and decrease exclusion
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Reduce acceptance of violence as a means of resolving conflict
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Address local housing and homelessness challenges
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Strengthen community cohesion and resilience
Community Projects
Yavapai County
The AZ Uniters and Coalition for Compassion and Justice increased community understanding of housing instability by engaging housed and unhoused residents in a participatory survey process. By listening across differences and collecting diverse perspectives from shelters, libraries, community centers, and online networks, the team generated insights into the experiences and root causes of homelessness in the county.
Maricopa County
The AZ Uniters and AllThrive365 led a homelessness prevention and risk awareness campaign focused on reaching younger and older residents who are most vulnerable to housing instability. They created a one-stop resource website that connects people to essential services, such as housing, food, healthcare, and employment.
Program Impact
Program impacts, based on analyzing baseline and endline survey data among Uniters, include these positive changes:
Agency: Respondents who strongly agreed with the statement “I have the power to make a positive change in my community” increased 38 percentage points.
Hope: Respondents who strongly agreed they are very hopeful about the future of their community increased 23 percentage points.
Trust: Respondents who agreed or strongly agreed that they trust that people in their community have good intentions increased 13 percentage points, with a 40 percentage point increase in people who said they trust people from different generations.
Cohesion: Respondents who agreed or strongly agreed that “People in my local community often spend time with people who have different viewpoints/backgrounds than them” increased 44 percentage points.
Program Schedule
All in-person gatherings will feature a workshop and other activities such as small-group discussions, visits with community leaders, a shared meal, and/or a walking tour.
September ‘25
PHASE I
Build Relationships and Learn Together
Kick off program. Build relationships across divides and engage in constructive dialogue.
Sept 13 | 9:30AM - 3.30PM | Yavapai Co. | Gathering #1: Relationship building +ABCs
September - October ‘25
PHASE II
Plan for Action
Analyze issues of housing and homelessnes and design projects with community partners.
Sept 27 | 9:30AM - 3.30PM | Maricopa Co. | Gathering #2: Problem Tree Analysis
Oct 11 | 9:30AM - 3.30PM | Yavapai Co. | Gathering #3: Project Design
November - December '25
PHASE III
Take Action
Implement projects and gather with Uniters to share successes and challenges.
Nov 6 | 5 - 6:30PM | Zoom (AZ Time) | Gathering #4
Dec 4 | 5 - 6:30PM | Zoom (AZ Time) | Gathering #5
February '26
PHASE IV
Communicate Results and Sustain our Action
Showcase and celebrate outcomes with the broader community
Feb 7 | 9:30AM - 3.30PM | Maricopa Co. | Final Gathering #6
Community Partners
UR Action's Central Arizona Core Team
Past Events
