PHX Reporter

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently approved a $5 million program called Threshold that will use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The board will partner with property managers to provide safe and affordable rental options to people transitioning from homelessness, according to a news release from the county.

"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," Bill Gates, Board of Supervisors chairman, said 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." 

The Threshold program is a partnership between Maricopa County's Human Services Department and HOM, Inc., an Arizona-based organization that helps people dealing with homelessness and housing instability, the news release said. The program will provide technical support, financial incentives, rent, and other guarantees to mitigate risks for property owners who rent to people who are reestablishing their income and rental history as they exit homelessness.

"We believe individuals, families, and communities are safer, healthier, and stronger when everyone has a home," Mike Shore, president and CEO of HOM, Inc., said 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."

Housing will be offered through referrals from authorized service providers to people experiencing homelessness who are enrolled in the regional entry system.

Threshold is the first centralized landlord engagement service in Maricopa County, according to AzCentral. The program is designed to attract landlords who are willing to provide quality housing to those in need.

"The mission is very simple," Shore said. "We support and collaborate with property owners and managers to be active partners to help make this vision a reality."