appropriation; homeless shelter services fund

Plain English Breakdown

While the bill text refers to 'the department,' the official digest confirms this is the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH).

SB1596: Creating a Fund for Homeless Shelter Services

This bill creates the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund in Arizona and provides $50 million to support shelter programs.

What This Bill Does

• Creates the Homeless Shelter and Services Fund within state law.
• Assigns the department (Arizona Department of Housing) to manage the fund.
• Provides a one-time payment of $50,000,000 from the state general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027.
• Allows money in the fund to be used continuously without expiring at the end of a budget cycle.
• Requires the department to award grants to counties, cities, towns, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations that run shelter programs.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Housing
• Counties, cities, towns, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations receiving grants
• Unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness who receive services

Terms To Know

Appropriation

An official act by the legislature that sets aside money for a specific purpose.

Continuously appropriated

Money in the fund does not expire at the end of a fiscal year and can be used over time.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill text does not list specific rules for how grant money must be spent beyond providing shelter and services.
• No effective date is listed in the provided source material, so it is unclear when this law officially begins.
• The amount of $50 million applies only to fiscal year 2026-2027; future funding amounts are not stated.

Official Summary Text

SB1596 - appropriation; homeless shelter services fund

Current Bill Text

SB1596 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
appropriation; homeless shelter services fund

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1596

Introduced by

Senator
Alston: Representative Connolly

AN
ACT

amending title 41, chapter 37, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-3958; appropriating monies;
relating to the Arizona department of housing.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 41, chapter 37, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-3958, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-3958.

Homeless shelter and services fund; exemption

A. The homeless shelter and services
fund is established. The department shall administer the
fund. The fund consists of legislative appropriations, other monies
directed to be deposited in the fund and investment earnings on monies in the
fund.� On notice from the department, the state treasurer shall invest and
divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from
investment shall be credited to the fund.

B. Monies in the fund are
continuously appropriated. The department shall use the monies to
award grants pursuant to chapter 24 of this title to counties, cities, towns,
Indian tribes and nonprofit organizations for programs that provide shelter and
services to unsheltered persons who are experiencing homelessness.

C. Monies in the fund are exempt from
the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Appropriation; homeless shelter and services
fund

The sum of $50,000,000 is appropriated
from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the homeless shelter
and services fund established by section 41-3958, Arizona Revised
Statutes, as added by this act.