Homelessness jumps 35% in just 2 years in biggest Arizona county

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - Authorities in Arizona say an official count shows the number of homeless people in Arizona’s largest county has surged 35% over two years.

This number comes amid a housing crisis and economic hardship caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The report released by the Maricopa Association of Governments says that over 5,000 people in the county, including over 3,000 people in Phoenix, Experienced homelessness in unsheltered situations at the end of January.

The tally was part of annual “Point-in-Time” count overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This also as evictions are on the rise as court cases start piling up after last year’s end to a federal moratorium that protected renters affected by Covid-19.