For questions about public policy like, "What is Arizona doing about testing?" or "Have you seen this report (or website)?" CLICK HERE to see my blog posts about that.
For answers to your questions about health and financial support See below. Para informacion en Espanol haz clic aquí.
You may also call my office in the Arizona House of Representatives if you do not find what you need below.
Office: 602-926-4870
HEALTH INFORMATION:
1. Johns Hopkins University and Medicine -
- Click here for JHU Coronavirus Resource center
- How long can the virus live on surfaces? If my family member is sick, exactly how do we quarantine? and more very useful explanations
2. Arizona Department of Health Services - includes state related information about the illness and where to get a test.
- Click here for ADHS counts of Arizona confirmed cases of COVID-19, FAQs, news releases, and much more.
- Hotline - 1-844-542-8201
- December message from ADHS: "ADHS continues to recruit out of state
nurses to augment Arizona hospital staffing
with nearly 150 nurses starting in December throughout the state and several hundred more starting in January. In total, ADHS expects to have contracted over 800 nurses for Arizona hospitals for 8-week assignments."
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - federal information on the COVID-19 crisis.
- Click Here for CDC Coronavirus explanations, prevention and treatment, symptoms, FAQs and more.
- CDC advice about Face Masks info, Click Here. "My mask protects you; your mask protects me."
- Use SOAP to wash your hands. It breaks up the outside fatty layer of the virus. And it takes, you guessed it -- 20 seconds to work.
Click this link for a great video.
4. World Health Organization - Worldwide data and technical guidance
- Click here for WHO Coronavirus travel advice , Mythbusters, and more
Housing, Food, and Necessities:
5. Unemployment Insurance - Food Stamps - Childcare Assistance and more:
- AZ Department of Economic Security (DES) Services –
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Click here for DES help and explanations
These services include unemployment insurance benefits, services for the developmentally disabled, the Arizona early intervention program, cash, medical and nutrition assistance (food stamps), child care assistance, short-term crisis service, mortgage assistance, and more.
DES is here to help you and your family. Supporting those in need helps every Arizonan because it helps to keep our economy stable.
6. Where can I get free or inexpensive LEGAL HELP? -- evictions, employment, small business, domestic violence ...
- AZLawHelp.org is recommended by the AZ Bar Association. They can help you find free or reduced-fee lawyers, and also help dealing with the courts.
- Community Legal Services ( 1-800-852-9075 ) is a non-profit Arizona law firm that strives to assure fairness in the justice system no matter how much money you have .
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The Arizona State Bar Association has a menu of links and brochures on their website to help you with:
- Consumer/Finance * Court Processes and Procedures * Domestic Violence * Employment * Family * Housing help: Mortgage issues, & Landlord/ Tenant issues * Order of Protection * Public Benefits * Small Business * Unemployment Benefits/Insurance
- Domestic Violence --
- Community Legal Services: Domestic Violence resources -- Many websites that offer DV help have a "quick exit" button you can use to be redirected to neutral website. CLS has such a button. See the red "EXIT" button.
- see the Arizona Coalition to End Domestic Violence website for many resources or to offer help to advocate for safety.
7. HEALTHCARE INSURANCE/ Medicaid - Health-e-Arizona PLUS –
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Click here for AHCCCS and more: Online application for nutrition assistance (food stamps), Medicaid (AHCCCS is health insurance for low-income Arizonans) and cash assistance.
- Telephone assistance for the application - 1-855-432-7587
- Telephone assistance for the application - 1-855-432-7587
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Cover Arizona: Click here for people to walk you through getting Health Insurance, food, and more.
- Phone: 1-800-377-3536.
Free help applying for health insurance and other public benefits
Cover Arizona is a coalition of more than 900 members statewide that is committed to increasing health coverage and helping people get connected to the resources they need.
- Phone: 1-800-377-3536.
8. Utility Shut-offs - Food Banks - Rent and Mortgage Payments:
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Arizona 211 – Just pick up your phone and dial 2-1-1. or use the website.
For deaf consumers, call through Video Relay Service, at 877-211-8661 -
Click Here for 211 Arizona: Information about Food Banks, Family Medical Leave, Mental Health,
your utility company -SRP, APS, and other utilities, and more. -
Food banks – Click here for the Arizona Food Bank Network.
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Arizona landlord/tenant program – Click Here for The landlord tenant program provided through the City of Phoenix.
Or you can talk to a real person on the phone: 602-534-4444 ext. 2 -
Home Owners:
- If your mortgage is not through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, ask your banker anyway for these provisions. Banks might follow what Freddie and Fannie are doing.
- If your mortgage is through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may be allowed to REDUCE Your PAYMENTS, or take a 90-day pause in payments, or up to 12 months of relief.
- Start with this article from NPR: explanation click here.
- Click here for Fannie Mae details and Click here for Freddie Mac details.
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Renters:
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EVICTIONS - delayed. By Executive order, Gov. Ducey prohibits enforcing evictions from March 24, and 120 days afterward.
Click to see the Executive Orders. - Eviction assistance – Click Here for the Arizona Department of Housing. They offer limited eviction assistance in certain zip codes.
- If your landlord has a loan through Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, the landlord can get a 90-day "pause" in making their payments. If they claim that pause, then they must not evict tenants.
- Click here for Gov. Ducey's statement on stopping evictions and foreclosures.
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EVICTIONS - delayed. By Executive order, Gov. Ducey prohibits enforcing evictions from March 24, and 120 days afterward.
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Utilities and bill pay – Many utilities are offering assistance with bills including delayed shut offs for people who can’t afford to pay. You will need to call each specific company and inquire about what may be available to assist you.
- Click for SRP - 602-236-8888
- Click for APS - 602-371-7171
9. Community Action Agencies (CAA) – Rental assistance, FOOD BANKS, Counselors to help your figure out Food Stamps, Unemployment Insurance, etc.
- Food banks, Rent Assistance, Shelters, Community Food Gardens, and more:
- CHANDLER - Click here for CAA - Counselors to help you navigate DES and all the programs; see "Benefits Connection"
- MESA - Click here for CAA - employment and career counseling; domestic violence help; housing and shelter, and more
- PHOENIX - click here for CAA - Landlord-Tenant counseling about eviction prevention; Social services; and more
- TEMPE - click here for CAA - Community Action Agency - 2146 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe AZ
- Maricopa County CAA - Senior services for aged; home repair; find a job; Head Start Programs for children; and more
10. For Seniors and ELDERLY: Area Agency on Aging
- Click here for AAA - Medicare help, meals, caregiver support and more
- Scams are all over.
Anybody going door to door offering free Coronavirus testing or supplies should be treated with great caution. Ask to see their ID.
As of April 1, 2020, the FDA still has not approved any at-home test kits for COVID-19. Anybody trying to sell you a test for at-home use is likely to be a fraud. -
Telephone your doctor if you want a test.
The Senior Help Line – For Arizona’s seniors and elderly. The hotline operates 24/7 and has a great library of resources - 24 hours every day: Hotline Number - 602-264-4357
SCHOOLS:
EDUCATION INFORMATION AND FOOD SERVICES THROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
12. Public Schools –
- Click here for the AZ Department of Education - guidance for parents and schools
All public schools in District 18 are providing food services for any child under 18 years old. Please see specific district websites for details:
13. LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 18 PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMATION click the name to link to the website:
- Chandler Unified School District #80
- Kyrene Elementary School District #28
- Mesa Unified School District #4
- Tempe Elementary School District #03
- Tempe Union High School District #213
SMALL BUSINESSES:
14. Small businesses and non-profit small businesses:
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Congressman Greg Stanton's webinar on CARES Act - Click here.
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Four federal programs that can help small businesses - Click here for details :
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SBA 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program PPP) ended on May 31, 2021, but you can click the link for follow-up information.
- for nonprofits and other small businesses with fewer than 500 employees
- for payroll and other necessary costs during the pandemic
- Loan amount is 2.5 times the average monthly payroll
- Loan becomes a grant if you keep employees on payroll March 1- June 30.
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SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans:
- COVID EIDL is no longer accepting new applications but will continue to accept requests for increases, reconsideration, and appeals.
- Loan amounts up to $2 million
- Interest rate will not exceed 4% Click here for more terms.
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SBA Debt Relief
- The SBA might pay principal and interest on some loans
- Loan payments might be deferred
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SBA 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program PPP) ended on May 31, 2021, but you can click the link for follow-up information.
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Arizona Gov. Ducey webpage about loans - Click here for Gov. Ducey's webpage on Small business LOANS -
- Has the link to APPLY for Loans
- "The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of COVID-19’s impact."
- The interest rate is less than 4% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere.
- Checklist for small businesses and non-profits from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation
15. Click here for the Arizona Commerce Authority -
- Manufacturing Companies that can help make essential products / Grants / SBA Disaster Relief Fund and more
- For WORKERS: Job Training, Childcare, Job opportunities, more ...
16. GIG ECONOMY WORKERS: - Drivers for Uber and Lyft, AirBnB or Turo hosts ...
- Click here for blog from Stride Health, scroll down to the big blocks that have links to Uber, Lyft, AirBnB and so on. The links provide a little information about sanitation. Gig economy workers do not qualify for unemployment insurance because they are not employees.
OTHER GOVERNMENT RESOURCES:
17. The Governor’s Office –
- Click here for Governor’s website: executive orders about COVID19, business shutdowns, and the latest actions taken
- All the Executive Orders are listed on this webpage, click here.
18. Maricopa County - Counts of the number of cases, and the number of hospitalizations, in Maricopa County.
- Click here for information for BUSINESSES, TRAVELERS, PPE and Supply Requests, and more.
19. City of Phoenix - information about impacted services; https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/em-and-hs/1054
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Resources:
Senators representing Arizona in the US Senate:
- US Senator Sinema - https://www.sinema.senate.gov/
- US Senator Mark Kelly - https://www.kelly.senate.gov/
- U.S. Congressmen serving the Arizona State Legislative District 18 area:
- Congressman Greg Stanton (CD9): https://stanton.house.gov/
Miscellany:
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MVD- MAKE AN APPOINTMENT before you go
- From AZ Motor Vehicle Division email May 9, 2020: "Because we have to limit the number of customers in an office, the only transactions we’re offering there right now are first time driver license or ID cards, first time vehicle registration, and some forms of complex title work. All other services are available online at www.azmvdnow.gov or through www.servicearizona.com That includes basic title transfers, registration renewals, requesting a refund, and almost all other services."
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MVD, my driver’s license is expiring –Here is text from the MVD website:
- “Driver License renewal requirements are extended six months from the expiration date for all Arizona driver licenses and driving permits that expire between March 1, 2020 and September 1, 2020. For example, if a driver license expires on March 20, 2020, the new expiration date will be September 20, 2020. Requirements to submit a medical clearance card for a commercial driver license are extended until September 1, 2020.”
- Click here for Arizona Motor Vehicle Services website.