ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

 

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

HB 2682: rental assistance program; appropriation

Sponsor: Representative Hernandez A, LD 20

Committee on Commerce

Overview

Establishes the Rental Assistance Program (Program) and appropriates $5,000,000 from the General Fund (GF) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) for the purposes of the Program.

History

Administered by DES, the Arizona Rental Assistance Program (Program) provided financial support to eligible low-income households to help cover rental arrears, future rent, and rent late fees and penalties. The Program was funded by State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and DES as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The Program officially ceased accepting new applications on August 31, 2024.  

Provisions

Rental Assistance Program

1.   Directs DES to establish and administer the Program, including adopt rules that govern the Program's process and criteria. (Sec. 1)

2.   Outlines the Program's eligibility requirements. (Sec. 1)

3.   Specifies the tenant is not required to be delinquent on rent to apply for the Program.

4.   Instructs DES to approve or deny a Program application within five business days after receiving an application. (Sec. 1)

5.   Require DES to send written notice of its decision to the tenant and the landlord, and if approved include the amount granted and specific months the rental assistance payments will cover. (Sec. 1)

6.   Limits the rental assistance that a tenant may receive only once every 12 months to the lesser of up to 2 months or $5,000. (Sec.1)

7.   Requires the rental assistance payment be paid directly to the landlord. (Sec. 1)

8.   Stipulates DES may issue the payment directly to the tenant and notify the landlord of the payment if the landlord refuses to accept direct payment. (Sec. 1)

9.   Allows rental assistance to cover upcoming rental payments. (Sec. 1)

10.  Requires any prospective rental assistance payments be delineated in DES's written notice of approval to the tenant and the landlord. (Sec. 1)

11.  Stipules the landlord, for tenants that are delinquent on rent, must verify with DES the balance that is due. (Sec. 1)

12.  Directs the tenant, for landlords that refuse to provide information on the balance, to provide DES the details regarding the balance. (Sec. 1)

13.  Instructs DES to establish, or contract with a provider to establish, a free financial literacy class for tenants requesting rental assistance. (Sec. 1)

14.  Prohibits a landlord who accepts rental assistance payments from DES or the tenant from evicting the tenant for nonpayment of rent for the months covered by the rental assistance payments. (Sec. 1)

Appropriations

15.  Appropriates $5,000,000 from the GF in FY 2027 to DES for the Program. (Sec. 2)

16.  Exempts the appropriation from lapsing. (Sec. 2)

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20.  Initials PB                       HB 2682

21.  1/29/2026  Page 0 Commerce

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