Arizona Leaders Address Rising Electricity Costs, Insurance Rates Faced by Latino Families in Arizona 

PHOENIX — Today, Climate Power hosted a press briefing led by Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Arizona State Representative Mariana Sandoval discussing the affordability pressures squeezing Arizona households from electricity rates to insurance costs. Speakers shared recent polling and data underscoring how these costs are hitting Latino families particularly hard, forcing households to make difficult choices as everyday expenses continue to climb.

“Here in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, our families understand the hard truth: housing affordability doesn’t end with a rent check or a mortgage payment. True affordability includes the electric bill you have to pay just to keep your home safe during the summer. It includes the soaring insurance premium landing in your mailbox,” Rep. Adelita Grijalva  (AZ-07) said. “Right now this burden is falling hardest on our Latino communities. Our families are being forced to spend a disproportionate amount of their hard earned income on energy bills, while being the least likely to have a safety net of home insurance. This isn’t just a housing issue, it’s a direct barrier to economic opportunity.”

“We’re facing a growing affordability crisis as extreme heat, wildfires, extreme drought, and rising energy demands drive up the cost of home insurance and electricity — pressures that fall specifically hard on Latino families and those that are on limited incomes,” said Arizona State Representative Mariana Sandoval. “Arizona families have clearly expressed their needs, and it’s time for those in authority to respond. They need housing they can afford. They need energy bills they can manage, especially during the summers with the extreme heat. They need insurance that is both accessible and affordable. They need leaders to fulfill their responsibilities with diligence.” 

“The dream of owning a home in Arizona is becoming a nightmare. Families paid nearly three hundred dollars just to keep the air conditioning on this August, and now pay more to protect their homes than they do in property taxes. And as housing costs climb, Latinos are the hardest hit. They’re tired of broken promises while their bills keep rising, and they’re ready for leaders willing to fight for them and for the solutions that actually bring costs down, like clean energy,” said Antonieta Cadiz, Executive Director of Climate Power En Acción.

“We want more families to have access to stable, affordable housing as a pathway for home ownership and wealth creation, but getting a family into a home is only part of the equation. We also have to make sure they can afford to stay in the home, and that means looking seriously at the ongoing cost of housing, including energy,” said Enrique Davis Mazlum, Arizona Director for UnidosUS. “Ultimately the measure of affordability isn’t simply whether a family can afford the rent or mortgage. It is whether they can afford the home, keep the lights on, care for their family, and still have something left to build a better future.”

“When we look at the data, it’s very clear that Latinos are bearing the brunt of America’s affordability crisis,” said Kevin Moran, Associate Vice President of Regional Affairs for EDF Action. “They are more likely to live in communities that face extreme heat, like in Arizona, and there’s a price to pay for that — skyrocketing electricity bills and insurance premiums.”

A recording of the full press call is available here.

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