Summary Sheet- RFCA SUMMARY

CITY OF TEMPE
Meeting Date: 3/5/2026  
REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
Agenda Item: 7C11
ACTION:  Adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of the City of Tempe's applications for gaming 
grant funds from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. (Resolution No. R2026.27)
FISCAL IMPACT:  If granted by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the City of Tempe 
will receive $570,299 to fund programs. Sufficient budget appropriation for expenditure of this grant will 
be requested to be included in the Governmental Grants Fund (Fund 46) budget as part of the upcoming 
Fiscal Year 2026-27 adopted budget.
RECOMMENDATION:  Adopt Resolution No. R2026.27.
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:  Arizona law requires participating tribal communities to contribute 
12% of their annual gaming proceeds to local governments for government services that benefit the 
general public, including public safety, mitigation of gaming impacts, and the promotion of commerce 
and economic development. The City of Tempe annually applies for gaming grants to fund City programs 
and services. Approval of the accompanying resolution would allow the City of Tempe to submit 
applications to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community for the following programs and events:
1.
CARE 7 Case Coordination. CARE 7 Case Coordinators (Case Coordinators) support 
participants in East Valley Regional Veterans Court (EVRVC), General Mental Health (GMH) 
participants of Tempe Mental Health Court, and clients and households referred to it by Tempe 
Fire Medical Rescue, the Tempe Police Department, Tempe Code Enforcement, and other City 
of Tempe departments. Case Coordinators provide significant assistance and wrap around 
services to address the complex needs of high utilizers of emergency services as well as to 
address the psychosocial needs of citizens and veterans that are justice-involved. Case 
Coordinators ensure that clients receive integrated services that include both mental health and 
physical health services. In FY25, the Case Management and Veterans Services program served 
226 new individuals. Case Coordinators provide a wide range of services including assisting 
individuals in the process of SMI evaluations, assisting with third-party releases, connecting 
clients and veterans to shelter and financial resources, application assistance, assistance with 
navigating complex systems, and connection to community resources and supports. Requested 
funding for this program will support one temporary full-time Case Coordinator. The grant request 
is for $98,300.
2.
Funding to Prevent Evictions and Homelessness. The costs associated with becoming 
homeless are staggering and emergency rental and utility assistance funding from both federal 
and community-based programs has been drastically reduced, even compared to pre-pandemic 
levels. This request allows CARE 7 staff to react quickly to crises in the community, preventing 
both individuals and families with children from becoming homeless. Without these funds, clients 
will be funneled towards a limited number of community agencies to piece together financial 
assistance. The requested funding will allow CARE 7 to quickly step in and try to prevent 
evictions from moving forward. Due to the 24/7 crisis response nature of the CARE 7 program, 
clients can be assessed and assisted when other agencies are closed. Because CARE 7 works 
closely with community agencies, funds will be used only when other funding in the community 
is exhausted. In 2025, CARE 7 assisted 25 households with rental and/or utility assistance or

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with funding to relocate out-of-state to live with family. Requested funding for this program will 
be used to provide emergency rental and utility assistance for residents facing eviction. The grant 
request is for $50,000.
3.
Hayden Butte & Papago Preserves Preservation. This request will invest in preservation and 
improvements of Hayden Butte and Papago Preserves, specifically through erosion control, trail 
improvements, graffiti abatement, and signage. The Preserves Management Plan (Plan) is 
complete, and implementation of the recommendations is expected to occur over the next 
several years. The Plan identifies conservation and preservation of the land located in the 
traditional homeland of the O'odham and Piipaash people as important long-term goals. Plan 
recommendations to improve the preserves in both the short term and long term include 
conducting a trails assessment, repairing eroded areas, and installing appropriate rules, 
wayfinding, and educational signage. A cultural resources survey as well as a traditional cultural 
places inventory was conducted as part of the Plan process. Requested funding for this project 
will provide educational signage where appropriate, erosion control, and trail work to 
appropriately route and direct people through the preserves and away from those areas and 
elements identified as important and historical, assisting with preservation. The grant request is 
for $175,000.  
4.
HOPE Solutions. The Homeless Outreach Prevention Program (HOPE) is designed to provide 
support and resources for individuals and families experiencing homelessness to end their 
homelessness. HOPE offers a continuum of care through various supportive service 
mechanisms that support an individual or family from homelessness to housing. This request will 
expand HOPE resources by offering support and services for homeless youth, individuals, and 
families currently residing in Tempe to move forward in their housing plan and into housing. 
Requested funding for this program will assist youth, individuals, and families in ending their 
homelessness as well as help purchase program materials for clients of HOPE that include, but 
are not limited to, bus passes and gas cards for employment, furniture for housing, vital 
documents (i.e. birth certificates, state issued IDs), diversion funds, move-in costs, and move-in 
kits. The request is for $30,000.
5.
Resource Navigators. The Resource Navigators program connects individuals to supportive 
services including homeless outreach, shelter information, Veteran's support, mental health 
care, and/or substance use treatment. Since being embedded in the Tempe City Jail and Tempe 
Municipal Court, the program has significantly increased its engagement with individuals in need. 
In the first six months of FY25, Resource Navigators interacted with 836 individuals and made 
389 successful referrals. Contacts totaled 1,678 in 2022 and 1,987 in 2023. Tempe is the only 
city with Resource Navigators co-located in both the jail and court. A formal jail screening 
process has improved identification of individuals experiencing unstable housing, mental illness, 
or substance use disorders, strengthening connections to behavioral health services. In court, 
the Resource Navigators provide pre-trial coordination with ongoing case management to ensure 
follow-through with supportive services, homeless outreach, and attendance at all court 
hearings, allowing full participation in Diversion opportunities once not available. Funding for this 
program will provide general office supplies, cell phone charges, and a full-time temporary 
benefited position. The request is for $107,828. 
 
6.
Tempe Works Employment Access Fund. Tempe Works is a workforce development and 
stabilization program designed to provide both structural and social supports for individuals 
experiencing homelessness to enter or re-enter the workforce. The Employment Access Fund 
removes financial barriers to immediate employment by covering the cost of required 
certifications and licenses. Removing the financial barrier to obtain these requirements allows 
participants to begin working or immediately enroll in necessary trainings. Requested funding for 
this program will provide vocational training such as CDL, OSHA, and forklift certification, and 
cover critical credentials that create employment barriers for many participants including Arizona

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Fingerprint Clearance Cards, food handlers' cards, ServSafe Manager credentials, CPR/First 
Aid certification, and Security Guard Cards. The request is for $30,000.
7.
Tempe Works Expansion. Tempe Works is a workforce development and stabilization program 
designed to provide both structural and social supports for individuals experiencing 
homelessness to enter or re-enter the workforce. The program delivers a coordinated continuum 
of care that supports participants from homelessness through employment and into stable 
housing, addressing barriers such as work readiness, income instability, and lack of support 
during early employment. Tempe Works is looking to expand by adding an additional position 
that will significantly increase program capacity, allowing Tempe Works to double the number of 
individuals served annually. This expansion is expected to result in a proportional increase in 
successful program graduates who achieve sustained employment and transition into stable 
housing. The added staffing capacity will strengthen cross-departmental and community 
collaboration by increasing coordination with housing providers, behavioral health services, 
employment partners, and City programs focused on homelessness response. By expanding 
staffing, Tempe Works will deepen its ability to align workforce development with housing 
stabilization efforts, resulting in stronger outcomes and a more integrated response to 
homelessness in Tempe. Requested funding for this program will provide a full-time temporary 
benefitted position for one-year. The request is for $79,171.
If Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community approves the grant requests, which it will decide in the 
fall of this year, the City Council will enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement for disbursement of the 
funds.
ATTACHMENTS:   03 05 26 RES NO R2026.XX SRPMIC INTERNAL FINAL.DOCX
STAFF CONTACT(S):  Jonathan Shuffield, Government Relations Director, (480) 350-8922
Department Director:  Jonathan Shuffield, Government Relations Director  
Legal review by:  Clarence Matherson, Jr., Deputy City Attorney
Prepared by:  Erin Fillmore, Management Assistant, Sr