A tough Christmas for many Arizona families as eviction moratorium deadline looms

Many families facing eviction moratorium deadline in Arizona

Even though relief could be granted by Congress, such measures will only be temporary.

PHOENIX - With an eviction moratorium deadline looming, it could be a nervous Christmas for thousands across the state.

"Everyone’s affected by it, both the plaintiffs and the defendants. Everyone’s losing money, and everyone has a hardship," said Maricopa County Presiding Constable Mike Branham.

It’s a knock nobody wants to get. While eviction notices are typically slower in December, constables in Maricopa County don’t know what to expect after the new year.

"What we believe will happen is that there will probably be a short-term extension of the CDC moratorium through the end of January," said Branham. "After that, with a new administration in place, we’re waiting to see what they want to do long-term."

Activists protest outside Gov. Ducey’s home, calling for end to housing insecurity

The group is calling for relief for the thousands of Arizonans facing housing insecurity during the pandemic.

An extension of the federal eviction moratorium for COVID hardship could only temporarily delay a problem.

"17% are behind rent, and then another 14% for this metro area have no confidence in the ability to pay rent next month. That is concerning," said Anubhav Bagley with the Maricopa Association of Governments.

There is no delay at the Justa Center in Downtown Phoenix. They have already seen the very real effects of people finding themselves on the streets for the first time.

"It has been happening. It was 57 new people in September, 87 in October, another 76 in November, and we’ve seen 20 in the first week of December. So, the uptick is happening," said Justa Center Executive Director Wendy Johnson.

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