Maricopa County funds new effort to help Phoenix residents facing eviction

Maricopa County is funding a new effort to help individuals who have fallen behind on rent payments and face potential evictions. In partnership with the City of Phoenix, the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program will target Phoenix areas with the highest number of eviction cases. The goal is to find interventions that may help more people stay in their homes.

The pilot program will use key components from the nationally recognized Texas Eviction Diversion Program, which emphasizes early intervention and collaboration among courts, landlords, tenants and community partners, and will include follow-up with residents to ensure cases have been resolved.

Kate Brophy McGee, Chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss key aspects of what the program includes.

Brophy McGee touched on the settlement that was finalized between the board of supervisors and county recorder Justin Heap.The primary election will be run under a board resolution that was passed in February, the general election will be run under the decisions of this settlement. 

The responsibilities of the recorder will be to control early voting and the voting operations that come along with that and the board of supervisors will be responsible for election day and emergency voting duties. Brophy McGee added that the board will, “tabulate as well and he (Heap) does voter registration and signature verification”.

As the election season continues on, Brophy McGee commented on what Arizona voters can expect to experience moving forward.

“The voter can vote confidently and worry about it. Their vote will be counted, their voice will be heard. And it was very tough during the litigation to get to a point where voters could see that. This is something we want to check a box and cross off their ‘I’m worried about’ list,” Brophy McGee said. 

Turning to the pilot program, Brophy McGee, alongside Supervisor Steve Gallardo and Phoenix Vice Mayor Kesha Washington, have worked to establish this program to “intervene earlier” in the eviction process to lower costs for all involved. 

The program just received funding from Maricopa County and it will begin in August. Brophy McGee gave a brief glimpse into what the rollout of this voluntary program will look like.

“We are going to see if we can work with friendly and cooperative landlords and the courts that the tenants go before to adopt some solutions,” Brophy McGee said.