Video to watch presentation: 3:50:11
By Isabela Gamez
The Primavera Foundation
On April 21, during the Tucson Mayor and City Council meeting, Primavera Foundation CEO Tisha Tallman presented an update on Star Village, a supportive housing and shelter community serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The meeting also included broader updates on the city’s response to unsheltered homelessness and regional coordination efforts.
City staff provided a brief overview of ongoing collaborative efforts addressing homelessness, including outreach, shelter access, and housing stabilization. Officials also shared updated regional data from the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which showed that homelessness in Pima County has remained relatively stable in recent years, while also reflecting continued pressure on shelter capacity due to funding and resource constraints.
While the broader system updates framed the meeting, the most detailed discussion centered on the continued development and impact of Star Village, which Tallman presented.
Tallman marked a six-month milestone for the program, describing Star Village as both a successful intervention and an evolving model responding to community needs.
“It’s a huge success, it’s definitely met a need.” Tallman said.
Star Village, which operates at or near its 25-person capacity, was designed to provide low-barrier shelter paired with supportive services and pathways to permanent housing. Tallman noted that occupancy remains consistently high, with residents typically fluctuating between 23 and 25 individuals.
“The capacity is 25, we remain at capacity very seldom do we go under capacity but it fluctuates between 23 and 25 individuals,” she said.
As the program has evolved, staff have made adjustments to better meet the needs of residents. One recent change includes repurposing an existing tent into a respite space ahead of extreme summer temperatures.
“The donation tent, this will be turned into an additional respite tent as the hot weather has already started here in Tucson,” Tallman explained. “There are ten cots in the respite tent, it’s simply cots and an air conditioner.”
She also highlighted how resident feedback has directly shaped the physical design of the village. Early iterations included low-profile dome tents, but those were later replaced with standing tents to improve comfort and daily livability.
“We’ve actually found that the residents would like to stand up and put on their clothes, so through donations we changed the tents out to standing tents and the women are much more comfortable,” she said.
Additional improvements to the site include shaded rest areas, a dog run, and community-driven enhancements supported by donations, including umbrellas provided through the Water, Rest, Shade campaign. Seven dogs currently reside with participants as companions within the village environment.
“We have a dog run, there are currently seven dogs that serve as companions to our residents,” Tallman said. “We have rest areas and just put up another umbrella that was donated for the Water, Rest, Shade campaign.”
Beyond physical infrastructure, Star Village continues to expand its programming and services. Since opening, the site has served 82 individuals, with approximately half of current residents part of the original group and the remainder cycling through the program.
“About half of the residents are the originals… and of the people who have left, about 25% are getting some sort of housing,” Tallman said.
Star Village provides a comprehensive range of on-site services designed to support stability and long-term success. These include case management, medical services, access to medication, weekly resident meetings, a resident advisory council, behavioral health support, and connections to food resources through Caridad Kitchen and the community food bank. The program also incorporates wellness activities, gardening, and weekly work opportunities that engage residents in structured programming and empowerment-based services.
Volunteer engagement has also played a significant role in sustaining the program’s daily operations. To date, Star Village has benefited from 333 volunteer hours, along with 156 hours of meal service provided by community teams.
Tallman also shared that interest from the broader community continues to grow, including a recent proposal from a local church member interested in developing a garden program at the village, further expanding opportunities for resident participation and engagement.
The presentation concluded with recognition of the ongoing collaboration between Primavera Foundation staff, volunteers, and partners working to support individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
Star Village continues to reflect Primavera Foundation’s mission to co-create tangible pathways out of poverty with individuals and families” by addressing the root causes of poverty and homelessness. As Tallman noted, the work is ongoing, but the early impact of the program demonstrates both progress and the complexity of addressing homelessness at a community level.