Innovative Program Funded by Maricopa County
1,250 people have left homelessness behind over the past year through an innovative program announced by Maricopa County in May 2022. Seeded with $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal dollars, the public/private partnership has proven a successful model to end homelessness.
“We have seen rent prices skyrocket over the past two years, making it quite difficult for many people to afford rent – let alone those working to take the steps from homelessness into housing,” said Chairman Clint Hickman, District 4. “We applaud these property owners and managers for putting people first and collaborating with us toward solutions that change lives and strengthen our community.”
Partnering with the County on this initiative, known as Threshold, is HOM, Inc. In its first year, the program was able to integrate 447 new property owners and operators into the system that accepts housing vouchers. These owners/operators bring with them 1036 new properties where people can begin to rebuild their lives from the security of a stable home.
- The program expanded from 5 cities to 16 and 74 zip codes to 113
- Available rental units accepting people with vouchers increased from 92 units to 1154
The centralized landlord engagement program is the first of its kind for in the nation. Participating properties are provided with incentives and assurances to encourage them to open more of their rental units to accept the housing vouchers used by people working to end their homelessness.
With the success of the first year cemented, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted on June 14 to unanimously approve an additional $2.5 million to the program and keep it going through June 2025.
Maricopa County has been at the forefront of developing and implementing innovative solutions for homelessness and housing by investing more than $500 million since 2021. For more information on Maricopa County’s program designed to help people exit homelessness into permanent housing through partnerships with landlords, including links to the live metrics dashboard, visit Maricopa.gov/Landlord.