AZ Family: Right now, the push is on to save a critical lifeline that helps thousands of Arizonans each year.
The 211 line helps connect struggling Arizonans to vital resources everyday, but the program could lose all state funding in just a few months.
“This will be a critical hit for us as an organization, and you know, hundreds of thousands of individuals and families that rely on us every single year,” Justin Chase, CEO of Solari Crisis & Human Services, said.
Solari Crisis & Human Services runs the 211 line. Each year, Chase said live operators answer more than 500,000 calls—that’s more than a 1,000 calls each day. When people call this line, they can get help finding food programs, housing options, utility assistance and more.
“A lot of times, the needs that are facing an individual or family are more than just one item, and so that’s really where you need somebody skilled and trained with an empathetic response to really be able to engage and support through a variety of complex needs,” Chase said.
He said around 75 employees would be let go if Gov. Katie Hobbs doesn’t allocate $3.5 million to keep 211 running. According to Chase, Solari’s reserves would keep the line going through the fall, but after that, the live component would go away.
“Now that we’re facing a bit of a surplus, there is funding available to be allocated for 211. I don’t think that $3.5 million is a huge ask for the level of impact that this program has, and I think our community members deserve having a resource like this available,” Chase said.
Arizona’s Family reached out to the governor’s office for a comment but has not heard back yet.