When we speak about the basic essentials of life there are 3 things at the forefront. Food. Water. Shelter. Shelter in 2022 has nearly became a luxury with rent and housing prices increasing quickly and substantially. Pushing many owners and renters into dire financial strain, foreclosures, near homelessness or homelessness. More and more young adults are being forced into co-habitating, moving in with their parents for the first time in their adult lives, causing an increase of evictions to limit future housing opportunities. It’s impacting mental health and increasing suicide rates. We are seeing renters being pushed out/bought out with no where to turn. There are waitlists for low income and affordable housing that are years long as well as very limited resources and mishandling of funds and services for the resources that are available. Senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities who are on fixed incomes not being able to find housing or being forced to vacate due to rent increases. We are in a housing crisis and it’s not being addressed and until individuals start speaking up and holding people in positions of power accountable and demanding change the cost of housing will keep climbing and our homeless rate will continue to increase. Housing is a basic human right, an essential need that should be accessible and affordable to all Arizonan’s and all American’s. Our prisoners are being housed better than many civilians. If this does not affect you, you are one of the lucky ones; however, I assure you it is affecting a loved one, a friend, a co-worker, a mother, a child, a stranger not knowing how they’ll get through another month, begging for relief. It’s time for a change. So please, If this speaks to you, I encourage you to sign the petition, reach out to your city mayor, your governor’s office, your senator, your local news stations, vote and ask your friends in high and low places to do the same. Thank you.