Epstein: 21,682. What does it mean and why should you care?

21,682*. What if I told you 21,682 people across Arizona have something in common? Shared geography, a unique hobby or perhaps the same middle name?

No, nothing quite so fun. What creates a thread among these nearly 20,000 Arizonans is the fact that they are all trying desperately to find permanent, affordable housing because they have no place to call home. Some people choose life on the streets, you say? Not in this case.

These 21,682 people have all voluntarily added their names to a list in the Homeless Management Information System, essentially saying, “I want your help to find a place that I can afford and services to help me get off the street and on the path toward a stable life.”

Many of these people come from a typical background. They had a family, a stable job and a place to call home. But due to circumstances like unexpected medical emergencies, job loss, rent hikes or eviction, they now find themselves in a situation they never imagined. They lose their home and end up in a shelter, living in their car, bunking at a friend’s house or pitching a tent on the street.

21,682 is a shocking number, and something that just doesn’t sit right with me. Hopefully it doesn’t sit right with you, either. Especially when I tell you that most of these people in need of housing are the most vulnerable among us. Seniors, those with mental and physical disabilities, veterans, victims of abuse and single-parent households with elementary school children. 

This growing number of people simply looking for the most basic human need — a safe place to live — is what drove me to launch the Arizona Housing Fund in 2019. After serving on nonprofit boards for decades, working on solving the housing and homelessness crisis in Arizona, I realized the solution is simple: we need more funding to provide safe, clean, affordable rental units.

Inspired by the PetSmart Charities Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars for animals through a cash register roundup program, I created a unique donation platform called the Escrow Donation Program that makes it easy for home buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and anyone involved in the sale of a home to voluntarily donate $25 to the Arizona Housing Fund.

Every dollar donated is granted to experienced Arizona nonprofits to build — or in many cases, repurpose old hotels and motels into apartments — and add new housing for Arizonans experiencing homelessness.

So, how have we done? In our first five years, which we’re celebrating this October, we’ve raised over $2 million and granted $1.7 million to 10 nonprofit housing projects. These grant-funded projects will help fund 524 new units of housing, providing much-needed homes for those who need them most. While our grants may not be the largest part of the funding for these projects, they are often the critical final piece that helps close the funding gap when construction costs come in higher than expected, or a final piece of funding is needed to bring the project to fruition.

We have bold goals, a private philanthropic initiative with the bold goal of raising $100 million to fund permanent supportive housing units and end homelessness in Arizona and we hope to reach a tipping point where most of the homes being sold in our state are generating $25 to $100 each for the Arizona Housing Fund. Once we reach this critical mass, we see this private philanthropic effort generating $100 million over the next 10 to 15 years, an amount significant enough to end homelessness for those 21,682 people who need a hand up.

What can you do? Visit arizonahousingfund.org to learn more and make a donation. If you’re buying or selling a home, download our Escrow Donation Form, donate $25 at closing, and encourage your real estate agent and title company to do the same. Small actions, when multiplied, can make a big difference. Together, we can help ensure that every Arizonan has a place to call home

*21,682 = 13,513 individuals in Maricopa County Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) as of July 2024, 5,292 Pima County individuals engaged in outreach, supportive services, housing assessment, and shelter/housing programs according to 9/30/23 HUD reporting, 2,877 individuals in Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) as of July 2024.

Editor’s note: Howard Epstein is a Bank of America real estate executive and founder of the Arizona Housing Fund, a private philanthropic initiative with the bold goal of raising $100 million to fund permanent supportive housing units and end homelessness in Arizona. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.