PHOENIX — Within days of opening a new pilot eviction prevention program in south and east Phoenix, more than 900 people applied for financial assistance, according to Maricopa County.
Last month, Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix opened up the prevention pilot program with the goal of intervening before cases get to court.
The pilot focuses on county zip codes with the highest eviction rates.
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“We were trying to really understand like where can we have this intervention be at a different point in the system and just test that out,” Maricopa County Human Services Director Tamara Bridwell said. "Just in four days, we had over 900 applications. We were anticipating through this pilot only serving between 230 and 250.”
One of the approved applicants was Jennifer Warchol, who received a month of rent.
“I heard back quickly, so that was exciting. It was the best birthday gift ever. Gets me to stay here, and it helps us catch up,” Warchol said. "I hope it continues. It helped a lot for me, and it would probably help a lot more people out there struggling with, especially work and different things like that, or even like a simple car breakdown, and you're in trouble.”
Bridwell said the county will continue working through the applications received in the first few days, while also studying the pilot's effectiveness.
“We're going to work with our justice courts to see if we've had any reduction at all in those zip codes,” Bridwell said.
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