Living on the Edge: Factors of Persistent Housing Insecurity in Southern Arizona

The economic and financial fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated an ongoing affordable housing crisis in Southern Arizona. At the height of the pandemic, some 10-15% of rental households across Arizona had fallen behind on their rent. Yet despite signs of economic recovery beginning to show in 2023, eviction filings in Pima County have rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels following a moratorium on new filings enacted by the federal government. Even after two years of federal rental and utility assistance provided to at-risk rental households, a significant number of households in Southern Arizona are at risk of losing their housing just as the state and national economy is poised to emerge from the pandemic. For these housing insecure individuals and families, the impact of the pandemic has not only limited their ability to afford rising rents and utility bills; multiple other intersecting social factors such as unemployment, food insecurity, poor health, and childcare burdens limit their capacity to participate equally in a full recovery. Many residents are struggling to “get by” each month.