By Catherine Reagor & Amy Qin | Arizona Republic
Arizona’s housing shortage and rapidly rising rents are hurting people with the lowest incomes the most, forcing a growing number of struggling tenants out of their homes.
In metro Phoenix, which is among the top 10 metro areas facing the most severe affordable housing shortages, only 20 rentals are available for every 100 extremely low-income renters, according to the latest annual survey by the nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The Phoenix area led the U.S. for rent increases with a 30% jump last year, and rents could climb another 20% this year.
Too few apartments, a growing population, rent increases wildly outpacing income gains and a buying spree of Phoenix-area complexes by corporate investors has created a nightmare situation for many renters.
Tenants with lower incomes have the fewest options, despite housing vouchers and federal money going to new programs and apartments.
James Lawrence and Arlinda Whidehat live in an affordable three-bedroom downtown Phoenix apartment with their two children and a teenage relative. Their monthly rent costs about 30% of their income, which is considered a healthy standard for affordability.
“We feel very lucky,” said Lawrence, who is a recovery support specialist at a care facility. “It was difficult to find an affordable apartment in a decent location when we moved here in 2020, but now it’s so much harder.”
He said their previous apartment was affordable but in a high-crime neighborhood.
The family’s complex is owned by Native American Connections, which develops affordable housing that also provides supportive community programs for residents.
When Lawrence and Whidehat lost a relative to COVID-19 last year and needed to take in two of her children, their apartment owner gave them a hardship grant.
The nonprofit has been able to keep its rent increases well below the average increases for metro Phoenix.
“There is the idea of build, build, build, which is great, but we need to make sure we are preserving affordable housing,” said Joan Serviss, executive director of the Arizona Housing Coalition. “We need to make sure some housing doesn’t fall out of affordability and that it’s diverse housing.”
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