CBS News
Evictions surge in Phoenix as rent increases prompt housing crisis
When Mahogany Kennedy knocks on a door in Phoenix, Arizona, it usually means someone is about to become homeless. As one of 26 constables in Maricopa County, it’s her job to serve eviction notices.
“Eviction numbers have truly gone up over the past few months,” Kennedy said. “…Every day I’m evicting, five days a week.
In the Phoenix area, evictions are surging to record highs. Since March of last year, Maricopa County has led the nation in the number of eviction filings.
During one work day, Kennedy attempted to serve three evictions, including one for a three-bedroom apartment that seven people used to call home. Resident Heavyn Glascow was the last to leave.
“Everything is so expensive right now, which is crazy,” Glascow said.
In her South Phoenix courtroom, Judge Anna Huberman says she hears as many as 500 eviction cases a month, more than she did right after the pandemic-era eviction moratorium ended three years ago.
“There was a belief that there would be a large number of filings, that evictions would go up, and they did not go up. There wasn’t a tsunami,” Huberman said.
But now, things are different.
Evictions are up 21% in Maricopa County, topping 83,000 filings in 2023, according to officials.
About 3.6 million eviction notices are filed annually nationwide, but what’s changing is where they’re happening, according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, which tracks the issue in 34 cities. At least 14 cities have seen double-digit increases in evictions since 2019. Most are in the Sun Belt, where populations are growing and rents are rising.
“It’s parents and children who are at the heart of the eviction crisis,” said Dr. Carl Gershenson, who runs the Eviction Lab. “These families are just one unexpected expense away from eviction.”
Kristopher Aranda lived with his girlfriend in Phoenix for seven years. The lease was in her name when she lost her battle with cancer in January. After not working for months in order to care for her, Aranda says he couldn’t come up with the $3,000 needed to stay.
Still grieving, an emotional Aranda said he has “no idea” where he’s going to go.
“I got to start from scratch,” he said.
And as Aranda starts over, Constable Kennedy is on her way to another door with another eviction order.
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Mark Robinson, North Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate, treated for burns, campaign says
Embattled Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — whose gubernatorial bid has been rattled by allegations that he previously posted racist and sexually explicit comments online — was hospitalized with burns Friday, his campaign said.
Mike Lonergan, a campaign spokesperson, told CBS News in a statement late Friday night that the 56-year-old Robinson was “currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy.”
Lonergan added that Robinson was in “good spirits,” but did not provide any further details on his condition or the circumstances that prompted.
A source close to the campaign told CBS News that Robinson had been hospitalized.
This follows a bombshell CNN report last week which found that Robinson posted inappropriate comments to the message board of a pornographic website between 2008 and 2012, often under the name of “black NAZI.”
Since the report’s publication on Sept. 19, Robinson has seen several campaign staffers resign, including his campaign manager, general consultant and senior adviser, finance director, and deputy campaign manager. He has also appeared to lose support among the Republican leadership.
Robinson has not appeared in the two North Carolina rallies Trump has held since the CNN report. And when asked Thursday by reporters if he would pull his endorsement for Robinson, Trump responded, “I don’t know the situation.”
When asked Tuesday if Republicans should halt support for Robinson’s campaign, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell responded, “It won’t surprise to you know I’m happy that there’s not a Senate race in North Carolina.”
Robinson, however, has so far vowed to stay in the race.
“This is an election about policies, not personalities,” he wrote on social media Wednesday. “Now is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense.”
Kaia Hubbard and
contributed to this report.
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