In a city council policy session Tuesday, Phoenix City Council members outlined the Landlord and Tenant Program as well as other programs from COVID-19 relief spending to benefit the community.
The Human Services Director for the City of Phoenix, Marchelle Franklin, outlined the city’s proposed plan to help tenants with legal assistance and rental assistance. With the total cost for the program being $1.15 million, Franklin showed the problems that are currently plaguing tenants and the need for government assistance.
“The pandemic has increased the inability for individuals to pay rent,” Franklin said. “It has exacerbated any available legal representation at eviction proceedings. And finally, there is still a lack of awareness of the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.”
For the first portion of the program, the city plans to spend $850,000 for COVID-19 tenant legal assistance and support. This money would go toward locating staff attorneys at the nine justice courts in Phoenix, providing legal representation at eviction proceedings and negotiating on behalf of clients with landlords.
This portion of the relief program is aimed at assisting who would have been able to find legal assistance had it not been for the burdens imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Interpretation of laws and rules and regulations, our department – the Landlord and Tenant Program staff – would refer typically to community legal services … We do not provide any type of legal assistance for individuals,” said Franklin.
Assistant City Manager Deanna Jonovich said that the program would also provide assistance to individuals with interpreting and understanding the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
The other half of the Landlord and Tenant Program, proposed by the city, pertains to COVID-19 rental assistance. This portion of the relief program centers around assisting tenants with late payments, fees, deposits and supportive services. In addition, the city will provide bus passes and meal cards to struggling tenants. This aspect of the program will be appropriated $300,000 in funds.
“We’ve got $293 million that we have been rolling out to the community to impact a variety of different endeavors,” said Deputy City Manager Jeff Barton, after he showed the current proposed coronavirus relief spending for the City of Phoenix.
In showing the current spending, the deputy city manager said that $75 million will go toward community investment, another $75 million will go to city operations and $143 million will remain as reserves for future needs. It was also outlined in the meeting that $4.4 million of the total $10 million that was directed for the mitigation and care for vulnerable populations has already been spent.
Jonovich said funding for the Landlord and Tenant Program comes from the remaining $5.6 million, as well as heat relief efforts and care for seniors.
There is still money in reserve for the city if needed, but until then city officials hope that the relief spending that they have planned will help Phoenix residents through the coronavirus pandemic.
Contact the reporter at iyakin@asu.edu.
