When summer hits in Southern Arizona many people head to local city pools to beat the heat,
Problem is, many residents in the Mission Manor Park neighborhood don't have pools walking distance to their homes.
"Usually, my nieces and nephews want to go swimming but we end up going to other apartment complexes because the pool has been closed forever," says resident, Octavio Gio.
The mission pool on the Southside, along with six others around Tucson have been vacant for many years.
The nearest pools are Sunnyside, Kennedy and El Pueblo but for many who travel on foot, it's not accessible under the hot sun.
"We basically have to walk across. It's hot and we're already sweating by the time we get there," says Geo.
City councilwoman, Regina Romero says the council has made progress in public pools.
"We have more work to do when it comes to capital needs. Several pools need major investments to bring them up to today's standards. This will continue to remain a priority for me."
Mission pool is one of the oldest pools in the area so when budget cuts began in 2009, it was the first to get cut.
Billy Sassi, Aquatics manager for Tucson Parks and Recreation says the mission pool needed a total upgrade.
"It was slated for a bromine ozone update as some of our other pools had been and once the budget constraints came all of that was off the table," says Sassi.
Since 2009, The city has now opened 18 seasonal, extended and year rounds city pools.
But Gio believes his neighborhood pool should be on the list as well for various reasons.
Gio says, "There's a lot of violence that goes on here so if the pool is open it would bring a lot more attention to the park and less violence."
