Affordable Housing in Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has two distinct Section 8 systems (City of Phoenix Housing Department for the city proper, Housing Authority of Maricopa County for surrounding areas), both currently closed to new applicants. The City's pandemic-era rental assistance has been fully exhausted — that $23 million in successor funding is now being distributed by four named nonprofits. This page tells you which agency to call for what, with real Phoenix specifics.

Emergency Help Tonight in Phoenix

Maricopa County uses a single Coordinated Entry system for homeless services across the entire Phoenix-Mesa metro. Access is through 211 — there's no single intake address.

• Call 211 Arizona first. They route you to the Coordinated Entry access point closest to you, which assesses your needs and assigns shelter
• Human Services Campus (downtown Phoenix, near 12th Ave & Madison) — the largest concentration of homeless services in Arizona. Houses Brian Garcia Welcome Center (intake), Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS — adult shelter), St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room, Maricopa County Healthcare for the Homeless, and Lodestar Day Resource Center
• Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) — adult emergency shelter, 700+ beds. Intake through Coordinated Entry, not walk-in
• UMOM New Day Centers — family shelter, transitional housing, and rapid rehousing in central Phoenix
• Sojourner Center — DV shelter (women + children). Call their 24-hour crisis line at 602-244-0089
• Native American Connections — culturally specific housing for Native American adults and families
• Heat-relief network: in Phoenix's brutal summers, the city activates cooling centers and hydration stations citywide May–October. Find the nearest at phoenix.gov or via 211 — this is life-saving infrastructure for unsheltered residents

For a broader walkthrough, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Phoenix: City vs. County

Phoenix splits the way most large metros do — apply to both authorities when their lists open.

City of Phoenix Housing Department

• Section 8 HCV waitlist is closed as of May 2026, with no openings currently scheduled. Phoenix has 4 different program waitlists (some closed, some open for specific programs)
• Average wait once on the list: approximately 29 months before receiving a voucher
• Apply at: phxhousing.myhousing.com
• In person: 830 East Jefferson Street, Phoenix AZ 85034

Housing Authority of Maricopa County (HAMC)

• Serves Maricopa County areas outside Phoenix city limits — Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, Surprise, Avondale, etc.
• Section 8 waitlist is also closed with no openings scheduled. Apply to neighboring cities' own authorities when those open — Mesa, Glendale, Tempe, and Chandler each run separate lists

Arizona Department of Housing

• Runs a statewide Public Housing Authority voucher program for areas without local PHAs and allocates LIHTC properties statewide. Worth applying to as a third option: housing.az.gov

For the national application process, see how to apply for Section 8 and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Phoenix (Named Programs)

The City of Phoenix has fully exhausted its Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding. The successor funding — approximately $23 million — is now being distributed by four named partner agencies, not by the city directly:

• Foundation for Senior Living — rental and utility assistance, prioritizing senior households
• St. Vincent de Paul (Phoenix) — eviction prevention and emergency rental assistance. APS Energy partners with SVdP for utility shutoffs. Call 602-580-6948 · 320 West Watkins Road, Phoenix AZ 85003
• Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) — bilingual emergency assistance, housing counseling, and case management. Call 602-253-0838 or 602-527-8451
• Pilgrim Rest Foundation — emergency rental aid through the historic Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church community programs
• Wildfire AZ — at 340 E Palm Lane, Suite 315 — coordinates utility assistance plus connections to other rental help. APS customers can qualify for up to $1,000 in bill assistance through Wildfire partners
• Maricopa County Human Services Department — rental, utility, and case management programs for county residents. Apply through azhousing.gov
• 211 Arizona — the front door for all of the above. Funds shift week to week, so 211 routes you to whoever has openings now

Utility assistance: LIHEAP and APS programs

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Arizona is administered through Wildfire and partner agencies. In Arizona summers, electricity bills can exceed rent — keeping the AC running is a housing-stability issue. Apply via 211 or directly through Wildfire AZ. APS (the major Phoenix electric utility) also runs its own customer assistance programs through SVdP, CPLC, and Wildfire.

Tenant Rights in Arizona — Phoenix Specifics

Arizona's tenant protections are limited at the state level, and Phoenix has not added local overrides:

• No source-of-income protection: Arizona has no state law preventing landlords from refusing Section 8 vouchers, and Phoenix has no city ordinance overriding this. Plan to call landlords first to confirm voucher acceptance before touring units. The City of Phoenix Housing Department can provide a list of voucher-friendly landlords
• Warranty of habitability: the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to provide functioning AC/heat (critical in Phoenix), running water, electricity, and safe structure. Submit repair requests in writing — under Arizona law, you have specific notice-and-cure rights for habitability failures
• Eviction notice for nonpayment: only 5 days written notice before the landlord can file. Phoenix eviction filings move fast — read every notice and act the day you receive one
• Court process: filings go to Maricopa County Justice Courts. Hearings are typically within 5-10 days of filing. If the landlord wins, the writ of restitution can issue within 5 days. Show up to court — default judgments lead to fast lockouts
• Notice to end month-to-month: 30 days from either party
• Security deposit: capped at 1.5 months' rent. Must be returned within 14 business days of move-out with itemized deductions
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal — a landlord cannot evict, raise the rent, or refuse renewal in retaliation for habitability complaints
• Self-help eviction is illegal: landlords cannot change locks, shut off utilities, or remove belongings without going through court (Arizona Revised Statutes 33-1367)
• Fair housing: federal Fair Housing Act and Arizona Fair Housing Act prohibit discrimination on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability
• Legal aid: Community Legal Services in Phoenix (602-258-3434) represents low-income tenants in eviction defense and fair-housing cases

State-level details: Arizona housing resources. To file a complaint: how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Affordable Housing Options in Phoenix

• Public Housing — the City of Phoenix operates roughly 2,500 public housing units. Separate waitlist from Section 8 — apply at phxhousing.myhousing.com
• Affordable rental developments through the Metro Phoenix Affordable Housing Collaborative Fund — new mixed-income properties opening across the metro
• LIHTC (Tax Credit) properties — thousands of income-restricted apartments in Maricopa County. Search HUD's LIHTC database or contact the Arizona Department of Housing. See how to find LIHTC housing
• HUD-VASH for veterans: referrals through the Phoenix VA Health Care System and Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center. See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing for households exiting homelessness — accessed through Maricopa County Coordinated Entry via 211
• Native American Connections — affordable housing developments with cultural programming, primarily in central Phoenix

Next Steps

Phoenix's housing system isn't designed to give you one phone number — it's a hub of agencies. If you need shelter tonight, call 211 and ask for Coordinated Entry access. If you need help with this month's rent, call CPLC at 602-253-0838 or SVdP at 602-580-6948. If you're trying to get on the Section 8 list, check phxhousing.myhousing.com weekly — openings are rare and short. Our Where to Start tool walks you through this in about two minutes.