Arizona shifting pandemic relief funding to urban areas

Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona is moving to reallocate some of its unspent federal pandemic relief funding to urban areas to avoid losing it.

A plan being developed by the state Department of Economic Security is expected to provide more money to programs in metro Phoenix and Tucson that have spent high percentages of their own federal funding to help renters and landlords.

While the federal government allocates rent-relief money directly to populous cities and counties, dollars given to states cover smaller communities and rural areas as well.

The state’s program has spent just 10% of its federal funding to help renters, while a federal rule required that triple that rate be spent by September 30.

Now the state must submit a plan by November 15 to get much more money to struggling tenants and landlords.