Arizona’s Democratic delegation to the U.S. House of Representative sent a letter to Gov. Ducey this week urging him to help speed up payouts of emergency rent money.

Arizona’s landlord trade group says federal action is needed first.

The letter to Ducey came with a list of ways the members of Congress say the state can speed up payouts.

State and local officials do have a role in dispersing hundreds of millions dollars to renters behind on payments due to the pandemic, said Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus, president and CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association.

“The first fix has to come from the federal government and you need to align the qualifications,” she said. 

Aligning qualifications means a person who qualifies to stay in their home due to the eviction moratorium, would automatically qualify for emergency rent money.

LeVinus said this would take Congress passing a bill, action by the federal Treasury or the Housing Department.