Miranda, Hernandez Push Bill to Address Affordable Housing Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 13, 2023

Miranda, Hernandez Push Bill to Address Affordable Housing Crisis

PHOENIX – With rents and homelessness continuing to rise, two Arizona Legislators are teaming up with legislation to address the crisis. Senator Catherine Miranda and Representative Lydia Hernandez, both of Phoenix, have sponsored twin omnibus bills to:

• Create a statewide eviction diversion and prevention program.

• Launch an affordable housing pilot program that renovates and uses vacant commercial, hotel and state-owned spaces.

• Create a Homeless Persons' Bill of Rights.

• Fund a grant program for cities, towns, counties and Indigenous Communities to find housing and wrap-around mental health and substance abuse services for unsheltered people.

Hernandez' has sponsored HB2734 in the House while Miranda sponsored SB1585 in the Senate.

"With the growing and complex Housing Crisis and with homelessness on the rise, we need to take urgent action now," Hernandez said. "As Arizona statewide leaders we are working towards finding viable solutions. Senator Miranda and I have held a stakeholder meeting comprised of over fifty housing-related state agencies, nonprofits and government staff to develop this plan."

Senator Miranda added, “There is no one-size-fits-all when addressing our homelessness crisis we currently have. We need to target specific resources towards the specific reasons why people are homeless. The political will to expand funding will help reach our goal in healing the lives of those who need it the most.”

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