By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Tucson Crime Free Coalition is introducing an app to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources in real time.
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The Nexus for Hope app uses real-time data to show available beds, detox resources and other services across multiple nonprofits. If one organization doesn’t have a bed available, it can direct someone to one that does.
Co-founder Josh Jacobsen said the need is growing more urgent.
“Our chronically unsheltered population on the street is getting sicker,” Jacobsen said. “We have higher self-reporting of substance use disorder and serious mental illness.”
The Tucson Crime Free Coalition heard from residents, businesses and law enforcement and worked with homeless individuals, shelters and elected officials to develop the app.
The app addresses a gap in the current system. People experiencing homelessness can’t always access help when they’re ready, and nonprofits don’t always have the resources to meet them, Jacobsen said.
Individuals can opt in to be tracked after speaking with a nonprofit navigator. The app creates a daily snapshot of where people are and what services they’ve received.
“It creates essentially a 365 day a year point in time count based upon the data and the conversations that are being had with the navigators, the nonprofits,” Jacobsen said.
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That data gives government officials information for decisions on funding and resources. The frequent data collection will track positive and negative outcomes while protecting individual privacy and dignity.
The app includes different clearance levels for sensitive information.
“An average citizen would have a role where they would be able to look in and see the actual dashboard,” Jacobsen said. “If you needed help for a family member, you could certainly see that right there. But then as we start getting into data that’s more sensitive, then there’s different clearance levels for people to be able to see.”
Jacobsen hopes the app will attract outside funding and that communities like Pima County will commit to using the tool. The goal is to expand across Arizona and the country.
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