TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's no secret: the cost of living in Tucson is increasing. Renters, like Nan Abrams, are feeling the pressure.
"I ran into a woman in the laundry room and she told me her rent had been raised like $300. I said, 'How could that be?,'" said Abrams.
Abrams said a new management company took over her apartment complex, Craycroft Commons. It was time for her to renew her lease and that's when she said the prices skyrocketed.
"$780 on a one year lease and $880 on a month-to-month. I gave them a 30 day notice," said Abrams.
Abrams said she was previously paying $579 a month on a month-to-month lease.
"I was mad as a hornet. I was so mad," said Abrams.
Abrams feels lucky. She already has a new living situation lined up in California, at a rate she can afford. Unfortunately, not everyone is in the same boat.
"Some of my neighbors, I don't know what they're going to do. While I have been terribly inconvenienced, I'm not in as bad of a position as some of my neighbors," said Abrams.
It's the kind of situation Ward 2 Tucson City Council Member, Paul Cunningham, is helping people navigate through regularly.
"It's a housing crisis. It's an affordability crisis. It's a homeless crisis. It's a big puzzle," said Cunningham.
Cunningham, and other city leaders, are putting the puzzle together one piece at a time. They have helped Tucsonans who can't find or afford housing on a case-by-case basis.
"We're pretty hands on. If someone calls us, we try to get them to the right agencies, collaborate and use whatever community resources we can to get people into shelter or a roof over their heads. We actually see that case through," said Cunningham.
If you need help, Cunningham said reaching out is always the best option.
"It will be a year or two years before we get out of this. People need to be realistic about that," said Cunningham.
Visit the City of Tucson's Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) for housing assistance.
Craycroft Commons apartment complex has not responded to KGUN's request for information about an increase in rent.
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