Sinema Announces New Rental Assistance Funds Available for Arizonans

Press Release

Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced a new round of Emergency Rental Assistance funds to help struggling Arizonans afford rent and prevent eviction.

"Arizona housing costs continue to rise, and today's announcement provides much-needed, immediate relief to protect Arizonans from eviction.As we recover from the pandemic and return to normal, I will continue working with members of both parties to lower costs and increase affordable housing for Arizonans," said Sinema, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

"My thanks to the Biden Administration and our Congressional Delegation for re-allocating critical rental assistance funds to the jurisdictions who have demonstrated their ability to distribute them efficiently," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "These additional resources will help keep roofs over the heads of our most vulnerable residents."

"On behalf of Pima County, we are pleased to receive this much-needed extra federal rental-assistance funding and I thank all the members of Congress who voted for it. Many people in our community are still financially struggling due to the pandemic and this money will help many County residents stay in their homes," said Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bronson. "Pima County and its partners have been responsible stewards of rental-assistance funds, distributing more than $51 million for rental assistance and $7 million for utility assistance."

Chandler and Glendale will receive $623,714.25 and $522,794.13, respectively. The State of Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Economic Development will reallocate $35 million for Phoenix, $6 million for Pima County, and $13 million for Tucson.

These funds are part of the second round of reallocations for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, part of which will be reapportioned from a national pool of funds and part of which will be transferred from the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Sinema is also working to expand the supply of affordable housing for Arizonans to address a historic housing shortage. In the recently passed Fiscal Year 2022 annual budget bill, Sinema secured $800,000 for the City of Tucson Willard Apartments, which will allow for the complete remodel of affordable housing units, and $750,000 for the Children's Home in the Tohono O'odham Nation that will support the construction and development of a permanent children's home to provide housing, care, and support for children who are in custody of the Nation's Department of Health and Human Services.

In February, Sinema spoke in a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing about Arizona's rising rent costs and ongoing affordable housing shortage. During her remarks, Sinema highlighted an Arizona Daily Star report about an out-of-state landlord who raised the rent of his affordable housing complex for seniors--kicking them out when they could not pay.

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