Gov. Doug Ducey has picked a former Phoenix city councilman and top lobbyist for apartment owners to head the Arizona Department of Housing.
Ducey announced his appointment of Tom Simplot on Wednesday. He takes the helm as the state recovers from a pandemic that led many to suddenly lose their jobs and incomes, facing the prospect of eviction or foreclosure.
Ducey says the state is getting just over $500 million in federal housing assistance to help renters, homeowners and those facing homelessness.
Simplot was on the Phoenix City Council for 10 years, was president and CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association and was a senior official at the National Endowment for the Arts during Donald Trump’s administration.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
