In January 2023, just days after her inauguration, Arizona's new Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, used her first State of the State speech to bemoan the high and rising price of housing.
"Our state is no stranger to the boom-and-bust housing cycles—but this is something wholly different," she said. "Three Arizona cities—Tucson, Mesa, and Phoenix—have seen some of the highest rent increases in the nation. The number of individuals experiencing homelessness has risen significantly in recent years."
