Evictions on the rise across Maricopa County; assistance programs are still available

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Kicking someone out of their home is never easy, but it’s been happening a lot lately. Evictions are on the rise, with more and more people unable to pay rent. Maricopa County Justice Court Judge Anna Huberman has seen a steady increase in eviction cases.

“I get a lot of young people who tell me this is the first time they’ve had an apartment, the first time being evicted,” said Huberman. “I also get families, families with children. I don’t see many seniors in my court, but other judges have told me a lot of seniors are being evicted in their court.”

According to Maricopa County Justice Court data, 5,792 eviction notices were filed in June 2022, the highest number of evictions since before the pandemic. In June 2019, there were 5,669 eviction notices. Housing experts believe skyrocketing rent prices are the primary reason for the bump in evictions, with rising gas prices and inflation as contributing factors.

Cities across the Phoenix metro and Maricopa County are now stepping up efforts to let people know about the assistance programs still available that can help with rent and utility bills. Maricopa County Human Resources Director Jacqueline Edwards said they’ve already assisted more than 25,000 households since the pandemic started, providing more than $140 million in aid. Edwards said it’s important that renters who are struggling financially reach out for help as soon as possible and not wait until there is an eviction notice on their front door.

“We do work with families that are facing imminent eviction, but in those cases, we do best we can to work with landlords and families to find a solution to prevent eviction,” said Edwards.

Mercy Care just launched another eviction protection program. Blythe Fitzharris is Chief Clinical Officer with Mercy Care. She said $308,000 is now available to assist individuals with mental illness, so they can remain in their homes or find another one.

“It can also be what we consider assistance in getting into a place,” said Fitzharris. “They sometimes have to pay deposits, there might be other fees folks cant afford, so eviction protection will cover that, too.”

For more details on the Mercy Care eviction protection program, submit requests to SMIMemberServices@mercycareaz.org.

• For more information on Maricopa County’s assistance program, click here.
• For more information on the City of Phoenix’s assistance program, click here.
• For more information on the City of Glendale’s assistance program, click here.
• For more information on the City of Mesa’s assistance program, click here.

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