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Homelessness jumps 35% in 2 years in biggest Arizona county

Michael Warner
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PHOENIX — Authorities say an official count shows the number of homeless people in Arizona’s largest county surged 35% over two years amid a housing crisis and economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

A recent report by the Maricopa Association of Governments says 5,029 people in the county experienced homelessness in unsheltered situations the night of Jan. 25.

That includes 3,096 people in Phoenix.

The increase comes as rents in metro Phoenix have jumped.