Metro Phoenix landlords moved to evict nearly 550 more tenants in May than in April.
According to the Maricopa County Court of Justice, 6,892 eviction cases were filed last month. This compares with 6,350 in April and 5,823 in March.
While evictions declined during the pandemic due to state and national moratoriums, they have been on the rise in most months since last summer.
May had more evictions than any month in 2019, making it the Valley’s best year for evictions since the Great Recession.
High rents are closing the door on many renters whose incomes are not keeping up.
Some of the high-eviction Valley apartments were once among the most affordable in the area. However, many complexes have been purchased by out-of-state investors in the past few years, and rents have skyrocketed.
Housing advocacy groups say the hardest-hit residents include single mothers, seniors and veterans.
It seems more renters are fighting to keep their homes. The number of tenants showing up to appeal is increasing.
Nearly 65% of renters attended eviction hearings in May 2019, and 85% of tenants attended hearings last month.
“Record numbers of tenants are actually attending eviction hearings because of our commitment to conduct hearings by phone and video rather than having people come to court,” said a court spokesperson. Scott Davis said.
Here’s where to contact reporters: catherine.reagor@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8040. follow her on her twitter @CatherineReagor.
azcentral.com and its coverage of housing insecurity in the Republic of Arizona are supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.
