100 signatures reached
To: Governor Doug Ducey
House Us AZ
Arizona renters, rental property owners, and homeowners are in jeopardy of losing their homes.
The State of Arizona was awarded hundreds of millions of funds through the federal CARES Act, specifically the Corona Virus Relief Funds, many of which are un-allocated. These funds need to be expended before the end of the calendar year (by December 31, 2020), and we are asking the Governor to expend these funds toward housing and associated costs in order to keep Arizonans in their homes.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting unemployment crisis have resulted in a developing disaster for an estimated 365,000 renter households. While Governor Ducey’s eviction moratorium has been extended to October 31, 2020, the question of how renters will come up with several months back-rent in addition to November’s rent due looms large.
Property owners renting to tenants who can’t pay their rent are also in peril. While some apartments and rental homes are owned and managed by large, multimillion dollar corporations, others are owned by individuals or families using rental homes as much-needed investment or household income.
State and federal funding as allocated has been insufficient to address the anticipated needs of Arizona residents. The solution lies in substantial additional government-provided 1) rent and mortgage assistance and 2) funding for shelter and services for homeless individuals and families.
To show your support for Arizona families and avoid the costly devastation of eviction, sign the petition asking Governor Ducey to authorize $250 million in spending to avoid costly, devastating results for Arizona’s economy.
Why is this important?
The COVID-19 pandemic is something that could have been mitigated from the beginning. Our Governor waited until the problem became a full blown crisis to do anything and now, the people of Arizona are having to deal with the consequences. We have been facing a housing crisis for the last couple years, but now we are staring down the barrel of a homelessness crisis.
The Governor has continued to skirt responsibility for the repercussions of his own inaction. It is now time for him to step up and fill the shoes that the people of Arizona elected him to wear. An estimated 365,000 rental households (or 577,000 individual renters) are at high risk of being displaced from their homes due to changes in financial income, loss of job, or unexpected sickness from COVID-19.
The funds we request are monies that are, to our knowledge, unallocated and sitting in state coffers controlled by the executive, Governor Ducey. Without action now, it will be too late and Arizonans will suffer.
Arizonans did not choose this hardship. They have been made the collateral damage of an unprecedented hardship that could have been handled better by those in charge.