Denise Anderson leaves the Department of Economic Security office on Fort Lowell Road on March 18, 2026.
Southern Arizonans applying for federal assistance are struggling to find work and make ends meet, while the Arizona Department of Economic Security makes its way through a backlog of applications.
The Department of Economic Security is expecting waitlists to begin shortening in coming weeks as a result of a $6.4 million investment from Gov. Katie Hobbs from December. Brett Bezio with DES communications said the funds have allowed for technology upgrades, overtime opportunities for staff and the hiring of 127 new employees. The department had been reeling from a 500 person staffing shortage that it said was prompted by President Donald Trump’s administration’s funding cuts to state agencies…