Rental assistance available for owners, residents across Arizona
Beginning Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Economic Security will start to deploy $280 million in emergency rental assistance to rental owners and residents in the following 12 Arizona counties:
Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yavapai.
Rental owners and residents in these counties can apply starting Tuesday for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program online at des.az.gov/ERAP.
Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, or until the funds are exhausted.
Rental owners and residents are encouraged to gather documentation to prepare to submit applications. Applicants will need:
copies of photo identification for all residents on the lease over 18. eviction or late notices. verification that at least one member of the household is eligible for unemployment benefits.
proof that household income is 80% or less than the area median income -- 2020 tax return or paystubs for the past 60 days.
The Phoenix City Council also announced a plan to distribute $51.1 M for emergency rental and utility assistance.
The Phoenix funds are to be bifurcated between the city’s Human Services
Department, which will distribute $26 million in aid, and Wildfire, which will distribute the remaining $25 million through various partnerships. The funds will be used to cover past-due rent and utility payments as well as future payments three months at a time with a 15-month maximum.
There is no cap for the amount of money a household may receive. Phoenix residents will be able to apply starting in early March by calling 602-534AIDE.
The City of Mesa’s COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program is currently accepting applications. Because the city’s program only has $15.76 million available, eligible residents and rental owners are encouraged to apply immediately at mesaaz.gov/govern ment/mesa-cares.
As part of the state’s remaining $202.5 million, six other municipalities are establishing their own local rental assistance programs. For the East Valley, Chandler’s rental assistance program will have $7.9 million and Gilbert will have $7.7 million available. In the West Valley, Glendale is receiving $7.6 million. Maricopa County will have $46.2 million available in early March.
As for southern Arizona, Pima County received $15.1 million, and Tucson received $16.6 million for a total of $31.7 million in combined rental assistance. Pima County is planning to launch its program in late February or early March.
Yuma County will have a $6.5 million program online soon.
Base price: Price as tested:
$41,195
$59,290
This week, we’re driving the 2021 Buick Enclave, General Motor’s upperclass midsize SUV that delivers the best of both SUV mechanicals with minivan-like passenger room. Built in Lansing, Michigan, Enclave debuted in 2008 and was popular from day one. It actually replaced three 2007 Buicks, including Terraza, Rendezvous and Rainer, all at the same time. Since then, Enclave has become Buick’s flagship SUV model that now competes with numerous foreign and American manufacturers in this popular category.
Listed as a standard size SUV by the EPA, Enclave is available in four distinct trims starting with the entry model Preferred at $41,195; then moving upward with Essence at $43,195; Premium at $49,995 and then top line Avenir at $54,995. If you choose the AWD versions the Essence is $45,195, Premium $51,795, and Avenir $56,000. AWD is not available with the entry Preferred.
Our tester this week is the top-class Avenir, delivered with AWD underpinnings that came in handy during several smaller snow events that hit our northernmost Pennsylvania state. Although nothing near the 38-inch snowfall we experienced some six weeks ago, the fully automatic AWD underpinnings
helped tremendously and for those who live in climates where snow is a yearly expectation, I highly recommend adding AWD to your Enclave order form.
Our tester is Enclave’s new generation that debuted in 2018 and features a 2-inch longer wheelbase than the previous generation.
It still shares some mechanicals with Chevrolet Traverse, but overrides the Chevy in side-by-side luxury and amenity comparisons. The current model is also more aerodynamic thanks to a lower roofline and more refined front end, grille and headlight design.
Powered by the proven GM 3.6-liter
double overhead cam (DOHC) V6 with 310 horsepower and 266 lb. ft. of torque, Buick now mates the proven engine to its new nine-speed automatic in either front drive or Intelligent AWD, replacing the six-speed automatic from the previous generation. The AWD features a twin-clutch rear differential that delivers better torque distribution and driver selectable AWD or front-drive only modes.
Our tester Enclave Avenir comes near fully loaded with leather appointed seven-passenger seating. The second row Captain Chair buckets feature a “smart” feature that easily moves the seat forward and then tilts it to allow non-cumbersome third row access. All three seating areas are zoned for heating and cooling, while modern standard fare tech appointments throughout the cabin include Bluetooth, USB, SiriusXM Satellite, remote start, 4G Wi-Fi, 8-inch diagonal high-resolution color touchscreen, Apple/Android compatibility and a great sounding Bose Premium 10speaker infotainment system with navigation.
Our tester also featured as standard what is optional on the lesser trims, including 20-inch premium pearl nickel finish wheels on name brand Continental tires. Its hands-free power rear liftgate and dual-pane sunroof with rear fixed skylight are also standard, as is power tilt and telescopic steering instead of manual.
Spacious and ultra-quiet, Enclave Avenir is noted for its beautiful cabin. However, as inviting and beautiful as it is, all Enclave trims quickly become a vehicle capable of loading up at the home improvement center if needed when the three rows of seating are arranged for moving needs. Clearly, the Enclave is usually purchased more so for its family moving and luxurious ride attributes, but it’s an added advantage knowing it has numerous multi-use possibilities.
Safety items on our tester include rear cross traffic, rear park assist, highdefinition rear camera, electronic stability, lane change alert and much more.
The all-American pickup is on the precipice of change with five new battery-electric pickups due to market in the next 18 months.
That means an already uber-competitive segment is about to become even more cutthroat as the new EV pickup segment edges into sales of gasoline counterparts.
And consumer acceptance of the sleek, environmentally friendly rigs could set the stage for the future of all electric vehicles, which matters a lot to General Motors and Ford Motor Co. as they bet big on EVs.
“EV pickup trucks are a catalyst to EV ownership in general,” said Vanessa Ton, senior manager for research firm Cox Automotive. “It’s a pivotal moment. EVs started out as cars and sedans, then we started seeing more SUVs available in EVs. But a pickup is a different animal. There’s a mindset and a culture behind it that – you’d think those consumers would not consider EVs – but they are.”
Cox, which is an investor in electric truck maker Rivian, did a consumer study late last year. It found that nearly 2 in 5 consumers looking to buy a new pickup in the next two years are considering electric, Ton said.
If preorders are any indication, there is interest for electric pickups, though the preorders are a fraction of the current sales of internal combustion pickups. Last year, U.S. consumers bought 2.3 million gasoline pickups, Cox Automotive data show.
The barriers preventing some buyers from embracing electric are the high purchase price compared with internal combustion, range-anxiety and a lack of charging infrastructure, Ton said.
Hummer vs. F-150
The two biggest brands to be launching electric pickups are GM and Ford. Those are also the top-sellers of internal combustion pickups with the F-150 dominating and the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram jockeying for No. 2.
GM will launch the 2022 GMC Hummer at the end of this year. The Edition 1 trim is priced at $112,595. Still preorders for the pickup sold out within minutes of its reveal last fall, GM has said, but it declined to say how many orders it got. The Free Press has reported it was about 10,000, according to sources. It is $100 to reserve one and the deposit is fully refundable.
The Hummer is the only electric pickup GM has announced, but as the Free Press previously reported, GMC dealers say an electric version of the Sierra pickup is in the works. GM has said it plans to be an all-electric car company in the future.
The Hummer is a beast. It has up to 1,000 horsepower from its top powertrain option. That option has an estimated range of 350 miles per charge. It uses three electric motors that can take it to 60 mph in three seconds. The vehicle can drive diagonally, too, when in CrabWalk mode.
In 2019, Ford confirmed it will build an electric light-duty pickup and launch it in 2022. Last November, the automaker said it had no plans to make a superduty electric pickup. Ford will invest $700 million to build a plant at the Rouge complex to build the electric F-150.
The F-150 is the top-selling vehicle in the United States and offering electrification won’t dilute its overall appeal, analysts say. In the Cox consumer study, which questioned 155 people, those who said they were looking to buy an electric pickup ranked the F-150 at the top of their consideration list, followed by Tesla’s Cybertruck and then GMC’s Hummer, Ton said.
Tesla’s Cybertruck
GM and Ford will face competition from the Tesla Cybertruck, which may have a nontraditional design that looks like something from the future or the movie “Mad Max,” but it will have capabilities to match any of the top-selling pickups.
“The appeal of the Cybertruck is lowest in our group in terms of looks,” Ton said. “But because it’s Tesla it will draw attention to the segment.”
The Cybertruck starts at $39,900. Published reports say it’s expected to start production later this year, but Tesla isn’t talking.
The Tesla name carries clout and various EV publications put the Cybertruck’s preorder count at 600,000 to 700,000, though analysts suspect actual sales will be far less. Most preorders don’t turn into actual sales when people get past the initial excitement, analysts say, and deposits are typically refundable.
“The Tesla Cybertruck will appeal to the Tesla audience,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds.com. “It’s overly masculine and it’ll likely be a bit higher than $40,000 and it’ll appeal to that crowd.”
Mighty startup
Then there are the startups, Rivian and Lordstown Motors, which have the funds and customer interest to make them contenders as they roll out allelectric pickups later this year.
Rivian is backed by the might of Amazon, which plans to put electric delivery vehicles in America’s neighborhoods. This summer, Rivian will launch the R1T pickup. The R1T can tow more than 11,000 pounds. Buyers can choose between a 300-mile or 400-mile range package. There are three trim levels: Launch, Adventure and Explore. The Explore starts at $67,500. The Launch and Adventure start at $75,000. There are federal incentives for each of the three models, a spokeswoman said.
Rivian’s spokeswoman declined to say how many preorders have been placed for the R1T, but she said the Launch edition, which will be delivered this summer, is sold out. Rivian will deliver Adventure and Explore editions starting January 2022.