Metro Phoenix eviction filings return to high pre-pandemic levels

Landlords in metro Phoenix filed more evictions in June 2022 than they did in June 2019, signaling a shift back to pre-pandemic trends.

Why it matters: Maricopa County had one of the highest rates of evictions in the country before the pandemic, but state and federal eviction moratoriums in place in 2020 and 2021 slowed them significantly.

• Now that all pandemic-era renter protections have lapsed, the county is expected to return to its former levels.

Details: Landlords filed for 5,792 evictions in June 2022, compared with 5,669 in June 2019.

• It was the highest number of eviction filings in any month since the start of the pandemic.

Of note: Not all filings result in tenants being removed from their homes. Some people are able to pay off their debts before a judge grants their eviction.

Zoom out: State and local governments have disbursed about $200 million in rental assistance in metro Phoenix and there is still assistance available.

What they're saying: "It's very concerning when you have millions of dollars being pumped into rent payments and evictions are still climbing," Maxine Becker of poverty-relief nonprofit Wildfire told AZcentral.