$7 Million Announced for Housing and Rental Assistance

State of Arizona Office of the Governor

Governor Doug Ducey announced $7 million to expand available rental assistance and help keep people in their homes. The funding comes from the Crisis Contingency and Safety Net Fund, established in March through a bipartisan state budget agreement that added $50 million for Arizona’s COVID-19 response.

“Ensuring Arizonans have safe, reliable housing during this pandemic is critical,” said Governor Ducey. “With today’s funding, we are expanding efforts to keep all Arizonans in their homes and helping ensure rents continue to get paid. We will continue to work with our county, city and community partners to get Arizonans impacted by this pandemic the resources and support they need.”

Today’s funding includes:

$2 million to provide additional assistance to tenants seeking relief through the Arizona Department of Housing’s Rental Eviction Assistance Program, addressing more than 5,500 applicants seeking assistance within the City of Phoenix; and
$5 million to replenish the Rental Property Owner Preservation Fund to ensure rental property owners, both small and large, can continue to provide safe and reliable housing to their tenants and prevent pandemic-related foreclosures.

The $2 million for the Rental Eviction Assistance Program is in addition to the $5M announced earlier this year and the approximate $50 million still available statewide through city, county and non-profit programs. To access these rental assistance programs throughout the state, please click HERE.

Background
In March, Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order delaying the enforcement of eviction action orders for renters impacted by COVID-19, and extended this order until Saturday, October 31. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium remains in place through the end of the year.

Over the past several months:

Maricopa County Justice Courts, in comparison to last year, have reported a 66.5% decrease in eviction filings between the months of April and September and a 78.5% decrease in the number of writs of restitution being issued;
The Department of Economic Security has distributed more than $11 billion in unemployment benefits to Arizonans since the start of the pandemic;
More than 4,000 households have been assisted through the Arizona Department of Housing’s Rental Eviction Assistance Program; and

All $5 million initially provided to the Rental Eviction Assistance Program have been committed to Community Action Agencies.