As the eviction moratorium is running out, the shelters in Phoenix are trying to prepare Coronavirus in Arizona

By Randall Perry On Aug 2, 2021

The Arizona eviction moratorium has expired and a Phoenix animal shelter says it is preparing for a possible influx of people who might get out of their homes.

PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – The Justa Center is a resource and day center in Phoenix that is specially open to the elderly. And while it doesn’t house people overnight, the end of the eviction moratorium has already caused quite a headache.

The eviction ban ends and puts millions of people at risk of losing their homes

“We’re going to see an increase in the number of people coming for services,” said Executive Director Wendy Johnson. “We’re operating seven days a week, so my staff will question it.”

It has been less than 24 hours since the eviction ban ended, and while people won’t take to the streets immediately because the eviction process takes several weeks to complete, Johnson says she has already received more calls from people who need a place to live.

“They have no place to sleep and they have no place to move,” said Johnson. “I get four or five inquiries a day for people looking for low-income senior housing and there just isn’t any available.”

According to the Grand Canyon Institute’s director of research, Dave Wells, it’s not just the lack of housing that is making things difficult, it’s the increased barriers displaced persons face in getting back to housing.

“Landlords look at your previous records and when you have an eviction it’s like a car accident,” Wells said. “The fact that your rates are rising is really a problem. And it will likely be a problem for tens of thousands, likely as a result of the end of the eviction moratorium.”

Nearly 140,000 people in Arizona are currently behind on rent, according to the latest Census Household Pulse Survey. Both Wells and Johnson expect eviction rates to rise above pre-pandemic levels over the next two months.

“We really want people to stay alive while we try to solve a bigger problem than one person can solve on their own,” said Johnson.

The Justa Center works with government agencies to help the homeless get emergency coupons at a motel. They have also extended their summer hours to 5 p.m. to help people escape the heat.