An eviction hearing takes place virtually in the courtroom of Judge Ronald Newman at the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court on Aug. 11, 2021.
The number of eviction orders in Pima County this year is already higher than it was by the end of last year.
The uptick in eviction orders is at least in part due to the end of the pandemic eviction moratorium in late 2021.
Andy Flagg of Pima County’s Community and Workforce Development Department said the numbers peaked in June and July, but it’s not clear why.
"So far, August is lower, back down toward more what had been normal," he said. "We'll see what happens with that."
The City of Tucson and Pima County have worked together on eviction prevention through the pandemic with the support of the Community Investment Corporation, which supports economic development in the county. But now, it’s just the county doing that work.
Flagg said they’ve worked to expand the department’s capacity, but are not immune to issues in hiring that many employers are facing.
The county has about $13 million left in federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds and is requesting the state allocate another $15 million in funds.
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