Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article misstated the number of evictions in Maricopa County.
A bipartisan push to give money to Arizona residents struggling to pay rent passed a key committee hearing, though not without some Republican criticism.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Alma Hernandez, a Tucson Democrat, would create a new program to pay up to two months of rent or $5,000, whichever is less expensive, for households with at least one child under 18 that are experiencing an “unexpected and temporary financial emergency.”
The money comes with no strings attached for tenants and doesn’t have to be paid back. Landlords, who in most cases would collect the payment, wouldn’t be allowed to evict tenants for the months covered by the payments.
The program would be initially funded with $5 million, an amount supporters hope would rise if the program proves popular. Maricopa County Justice Courts report more than 72,000 eviction filings took place in 2025 in metro Phoenix alone, down from about 87,000 the year before.
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“We have to start somewhere,” Hernandez told reporters at a Feb. 3 news conference about the bill. “I would love to see more money invested into the program because, of course, $5 million is not going to solve the problem or, let alone alleviate, the concerns that many families in Arizona have.”
Some of the money would also be needed to pay the salaries of staff at the state Department of Economic Security who would run and administer the program.
Yet assistance to “put a roof over someone’s head” is a top priority, Hernandez said, adding the program would help “folks who are in our communities that are hurting the most.”
Rep. Justin Wilmeth of Phoenix, one of two Republicans at the news conference, said he supports the bill because it would “help bridge a gap” for many Arizonans who live paycheck to paycheck.
“Within a month or two, their entire lives could be thrown to the wayside,” Wilmeth said. “We all need a place to live.”
The program would add to existing rental assistance programs around the state offered by municipalities or nonprofit groups. A similar statewide program that began during the pandemic shut down in 2024 after depleting its funds.
Phoenix Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington, who represents Phoenix’s Council District 8, shared anecdotes about how the city’s assistance plan has helped people in dire need who were in danger of an eviction. One young woman with a 3-year-old child had incurred expenses due to injuries suffered in a domestic violence incident received $4,000 from the city that “eliminated the risk of homelessness,” she said. Another situation involved a family with three children who had lost income after a “serious” car accident.
The city of Phoenix takes in about 1 million calls each year from people seeking financial help with their rent or utility bills, Hodge Washington said.
“This bill responds to the voices behind those calls,” she said. “It improves health outcomes. It keeps children in school. And it strengthens our entire community to the parents who have called for help.”
How the assistance would work
To receive help on rent, the renter with a child must have lived in the rental home for at least 12 months, can’t be more than two months behind in rent and cannot have accepted rental assistance from another source. The bill would require the renter needs to “show proof of income to pay the rent going forward” after the assistance.
If a renter meets the program’s criteria for help and sends an application to the state, the Department of Economic Security has five business days to approve or deny the request. If approved, the payment would go to the landlord unless the landlord refuses to accept it, in which case the tenant would receive the money. The aid could be requested only once in a 12-month period.
The tenant could make a “prospective” request for the money, asking for the relief based on facts of an upcoming financial problem before missing a rent payment.
State officials would be tasked with finding a “free financial literacy class” for the tenants who request the assistance, although the bill doesn’t require the program recipients to take such a class.
Bill still faces key obstacles
Hernandez presented the bill to the House Commerce Committee, whose members voted 7-4 in favor of it. The vote included three Republicans: Wilmeth, Rep. Jeff Weninger of Chandler and Rep. Walt Blackman of Snowflake.
But the idea has a few more important steps before becoming a law.
The bill will next go to the Rules Committee, whose chair is Rep. Laurin Hendrix of Gilbert, one of the four Republicans who voted against the bill in the Commerce Committee and has the power to leave it off his agenda. If it clears Rules, it will get a vote by all 60 House members. There, it would pass if all House Democrats and at least four Republicans vote for it.
At least five Republicans have shown support for it, including two in the Commerce Committee: Republican co-sponsor Rep. Michele Pena of Yuma, and Rep. Tony Rivero, a Peoria Republican, who spoke in favor of it at the news conference.
“Is this an issue that solves the rental crisis? No, but it gives a lifeline to those who are struggling,” Rivero told The Arizona Republic. “Republicans are doing it one way and Democrats are doing it a different way. But on this one, I could support it as a Republican.”
In other laws that provide benefits to people, GOP members have mandated requirements in the past including drug tests for recipients or checking for gambling earnings. Rivero said it’s possible some sort of guardrails could be placed on the bill through amendments.
“We’ll have the best bill in place once this process is over,” he said.
Success in the state Senate, which also has a Republican majority, would require three Republican supporters, and a signature by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs would be needed to see it into law.
Rep. Neal Carter of San Tan Valley, one of the Republicans on the commerce committee who voted against the bill, said the attempted creation of another entitlement bill comes from the notion that the government exists to give people housing and other things. If the bill passes, the program would grow and become permanent, he predicted.
“I’m not here for politics. I’m a citizen. I don’t want to pay higher taxes,” he said. “Ronald Reagan said the closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program.”
Reporting by Ray Stern, Arizona Republic
