COVID-19 has disrupted almost every facet of American life, but the pandemic’s economic impact has been especially challenging for some of Arizona’s renters. Prior to COVID-19, approximately one in seven Arizonans lived in poverty, which is defined as earning less than $13,000 a year for a single adult and less than $22,000 a year for a three-person family. More Arizonans are one crisis away from severe financial hardship and potential eviction than just Arizonans living in poverty. Preventing an eviction “avalanche” after Arizona’s eviction moratorium ends is critical to the state’s finances because the costs, shouldered in part by taxpayers, associated with eviction and homelessness can be staggering. While financial support from unemployment insurance programs, the federal CARES Act, and Arizona’s eviction prevention fund are helping some Arizonans navigate the initial economic fallout from COVID-19, there are still thousands of Arizonans on the brink who have applied for rental assistance and not received support.

Education experts and legislators from both political parties agree that Arizona suffers from an antiquated, patched-together state education data system that is seldom able to provide the reliable, real-time information that parents and educators need to determine which programs are working for which students, and which are not. This brief sets up the conversation for a Jan. 10 panel discussion on the topic.

This report examines the current state of housing in Arizona for people with disabilities. While it is one of the best states in the country in promoting community living options, there is more work to be done. Further examination reveals that most being served by the Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) are living with their families, with the second largest group living in group homes, in the absence of other options. Those with limited incomes who opt to live on their own find that they are plagued with tremendous barriers that range from discrimination, to long waiting lists for HUD programs, to a shortage of accessible, affordable housing.

This report examines community concerns and challenges related to extreme heat during a typical year and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It considers which policies have helped address these concerns and challenges and identifies potential opportunities to further support community members with the challenge of extreme heat. The report focuses specifically on American Indian and Latino/a community members, given their disproportionate risk of experiencing detrimental impacts of extreme heat and overlapping risk factors for negative outcomes of COVID-19.