Arizona Landlords Filed Evictions After Receiving State Assistance

Despite receiving $10 million in rental assistance through a state-run program, landlords in Arizona have filed thousands of evictions since the pandemic began.

2 minute read

March 31, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Arizona Sprawl

Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock

Despite receiving financial assistance from a state program aimed at preventing evictions during the pandemic, some Arizona landlords "filed nearly 2,500 eviction notices during the pandemic," according to an investigation by Jessica Boehm, Catherine Reagor, and Ralph Chapoco for the Arizona Republic. "Gov. Doug Ducey's office launched the Arizona Rental Property Owner Preservation Fund in August with $5 million to assist landlords whose tenants were not paying their rent during the COVID-19 crisis. The state added an additional $5 million to the fund in September after the initial funds quickly ran out." The program "provided funding to 4,204 rental units at 869 properties across the state between August and January."

The fund was administered through Gov. Ducey's Economic Recovery Management Team rather than the state's Housing Authority and "differed from other rental assistance programs across the state because it allowed landlords to apply directly for aid instead of requiring tenants to apply." Tenant advocates claim that this created "the potential for landlords or renters to double-dip by applying to multiple pools of money through agencies that weren't sharing information." According to the Republic's investigation, "nearly half of the 633 Maricopa County properties that received assistance from the fund filed for evictions," including one landlord who, after receiving the largest sum in the program at close to $1 million, filed for more than 350 evictions. "Another landlord filed for eviction on almost 30% of his tenants at a single Glendale apartment complex despite receiving $50,000 in assistance."

Landlords argue that the assistance didn't go far enough and that evictions or rent raises were necessary to stay afloat. The Arizona Multifamily Association said in a statement, "the state has not allocated and deployed nearly enough funding to cover all the unpaid rent in the state." Because tenants are still required to meet certain conditions under last year's eviction moratoriums, they claim, "not all evictions filed last year were forbidden under eviction moratoriums." Property owners warn that, without further assistance, "the costs of unpaid rent — and the cost of maintenance, property taxes and other business expenses — would ultimately be passed along to tenants who do pay their rent."

Thursday, March 25, 2021 in Arizona Republic

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Aerial view of homes and businesses destroyed by Altadena wildfire.

Tenant Advocates: Rent Gouging Rampant After LA Wildfires

The Rent Brigade says it's found evidence of thousands of likely instances of rent gouging. In some cases, the landlords accused of exploiting the fires had made campaign donations to those responsible for enforcement.

2 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

View of downtown Seattle with construction cranes and cloudy sky as seen from top of Space Needle.

Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details

The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.

3 hours ago - The Urbanist

Woman and man in orange safety vests and hard hats doing surveying work at road construction site.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.

4 hours ago - The Washington Post