Tucson House to Start Renovations of building, residents share their thoughts

The City of Tucson Housing and Community Development has allocated over $120 million to renovate Tucson House, addressing critical issues including elevator repairs, air conditioning systems, and the creation of community spaces to improve living conditions for residents.

The comprehensive renovation project comes after residents raised significant safety and health concerns about the current state of the building.

Antonio Salcido, a Tucson House resident of two years, expressed gratitude for the housing opportunity despite the current conditions.

"Well, for me, it's absolutely wonderful because I used to be homeless. I was on the street. They brought me in and it's been terrific, wonderful ever since then," Salcido said.

However, other residents like Inez Rider have highlighted serious health and safety issues that make daily living challenging.

"The mold in here is unbelievable. The breathing or the air quality inside is horrible. I come outside to get some fresh air just so that I can breathe and get some clearance from a congestion," Rider said.

Rider also expressed concern that many residents' needs have gone unaddressed.

"There's a lot of people here that have just been ignored and their needs are not being met because I think they're just not aware of it," Rider said.

These concerns prompted Housing and Community Development to move forward with the extensive renovation project, which is set to begin next week.

"We really are rebuilding this building. So we're replacing every single system, every single elevator, modernizing every single unit. We're adding community spaces for the residents. It's really quite the undertaking," HCD Director Ann Checkna said.

The renovations are funded through grants from the city's Thrive in the 05 Initiative and have been in planning since the summer of this year.

Both Salcido and Rider welcome the upcoming improvements to their living conditions.

"The renovations are great because they're upgrading, they're taking out all the old appliances and they're putting in brand new air conditioners, making the studios into one bedrooms," Salcido said.

Rider expressed hope for quick implementation of the safety improvements.

"I'm hoping the renovations get done and started really soon here. I'm still concerned about the safety for some people that are living here with underlying conditions that are getting sick, myself included," Rider said.