A Year of Growth, Transformation, and Advocacy

The CASS 2022 Annual Report shows rapid growth this year in our service numbers, in regional expansion, and in outcomes for those we serve.

First, we saw 30% growth over the prior year in the numbers of individuals we served, totaling 6,658 people. The vast majority of these persons stayed in our shelters, while others received case management or housing services either from referrals, or from utilization of our thriving navigation center in Glendale (the Norton and Ramsey Social Justice Empowerment Center). This report details where we have added new beds, opened new services, as well as what new beds and services will be coming on line in the coming year.

Second, although Arizona continues to be deeply challenged by the lack of affordable housing, our teams successfully helped 1,262 people get back into housing, or remain in their housing. And we are proud to have been one of the voices at the Arizona State Legislature to support a $60 Million appropriation to the Arizona Housing Trust Fund which will help bring more low-income housing to communities statewide. We plan to keep up pressure on our elected officials to fund more housing, which is one way we will address the root causes of the continued spiraling growth in homelessness.

Finally, outcomes are not just about service numbers, but also about how we serve people who have diverse needs, who have experienced trauma, and who have barriers that must be addressed before they can get housed (evictions, criminal records, job loss, poverty, mental health challenges).

CASS’ experienced case management and housing teams are trained to deliver trauma informed care; to work with people to address the barriers that may be keeping them unhoused; and to restore hope and belief in each person’s ability to permanently end their homelessness. Every month, we have hundreds of success stories which we share among our teams in order to deepen our learning and continually strengthen our service model.

We are also proud to have created a better service model for our senior citizens experiencing homelessness, with new screening tools and new partnerships, all of which has resulted in a stronger safety net for this population. In 2023, we will open a dedicated senior shelter – The CASS Senior Haven – with 170 beds at a hotel in North Phoenix. And, to address the mental health challenges faced by many people experiencing homelessness, many of our staff are now trained and certified as behavioral health technicians, with many more being trained this year. And in 2024, CASS will open a dedicated 54-bed housing program for people who have serious mental illness. Our partner in that project, Copa Health, will operate the outpatient clinic.

We are grateful to our supporters and partners for being with us on this journey as we work together to meet increasing demands, and, equally important, as we continue to transform community models of services to build stronger and better communities for all..

Lisa Glow, JD
President & CEO