$5M Maricopa County Program To Help House The Recently Homeless

PHOENIX, AZ — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved funding for a $5 million program that brings together local service organizations and property owners to give people transitioning out of homelessness safe and affordable places to live.

The program, called Threshold, is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, according to a news release from Maricopa County.

The program includes a network of property owners and managers who have promised to provide safe and affordable housing options to people moving on from homelessness.

"Reducing homelessness requires an 'all hands on deck' approach—from emergency shelter services at times of crisis to permanent housing and resources that lead to self-sufficiency,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates in the news release. “This partnership ensures people working to end their homelessness have a path into the rental market. This is a barrier we need to work together to address, and I applaud the property owners who have chosen to open their doors to everyone in our community."

Threshold is a public-private partnership between Maricopa County’s Human Services Department and HOM, Inc., an organization based locally that works to provide housing opportunities to those experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Property owners and managers who participate in the program will get technical support, financial incentives, rent, and other guarantees that diminish the financial risks that typically come with renting to people who have been recently homeless.

The people housed through Threshold will be referred by service providers that help people experiencing homelessness.

“We believe individuals, families, and communities are safer, healthier, and stronger when everyone has a home,” said Mike Shore, President, and CEO of HOM, Inc in the news release. “The Threshold network recognizes that engaged property owners and managers are instrumental to helping people exit homelessness and seeks to make them collaborative partners in solving the housing crisis.”