Republicans kill consensus again, this time on affordable housing
This opinion piece laments the folly in requiring a “majority of the majority” of state Republicans (at least 16 of 31) in order to advance bills to a floor vote. It relates the saga of Sen. Steve Kaiser’s dogged efforts to break down barriers to providing more housing, which included months of town halls exploring […]
‘More people falling off the cliff into homelessness’: Housing advocates share fears, possible solutions
Urban Land Institute Arizona hosted a 2023 Trends Day event that included a panel discussion on housing that included over 1,000 developers, planners, real estate experts and government and business leaders. They lamented high prices and a rise in homelessness: Maricopa County’s point-in-time count in 2023 found a 72 percent increase in the homeless population […]
Up for Growth 2022 Housing Underproduction in the U.S.
This report by Up for Growth, a national network committed to solving the housing crisis, gives a data-driven look at housing underproduction and its consequences. In 2019, the housing crisis seemed to affect mainly the coasts and Southwest. Since then, it’s spread to encompass rural, suburban and urban areas in almost all states. The deficit […]
The Zoning Theory of Everything
Zoning rules—which effectively socialize private property by mandating what owners can or can’t do with their own land—are at the crux of the housing crisis. Zoning laws driven by NIMBYs limit new housing construction, and scarcity drives up prices. This complex article touches on macroeconomic issues, policies, social shifts and more, and points a finger […]
MF projects progressing in Flagstaff
Two multifamily developments got a rare go-ahead from Flagstaff, and one has been in the pipeline for nearly two decades. Miramonte at Presidio in the Pines VI is part of the 91-acre Presidio in the Pines master planned community, which was approved in 2004. Also, the city council gave a first reading for a proposed […]
Big step to remove Mesa eyesore, ‘bad juju’
A vacant corner in Mesa at Country Club Drive and Main Street that was once the site of a long-running and messy battle involving eminent domain may finally be developed into 198 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space. The city council in March approved the five-story project on 2.5 acres that once was […]
Lawmakers talk a good game about more housing, then defeat a bill to do just that
This opinion piece doesn’t mince words in lambasting state leaders on both sides of the aisle for killing SB 1117, which would’ve helped alleviate the housing crisis by hastening development. The author correctly notes that a lack of affordable housing doesn’t necessarily mean subsidized housing; instead, it refer to a variety of price points, which […]
Gov. Polis’ housing proposal would allow duplexes, townhomes, ADUs across many cities in Colorado
Colorado’s Gov. Jared Polis rolled out a plan called “More Housing Now” to put a stop to single-family zoning in metro areas and resort towns. It would make it easier to develop denser projects, putting the brakes on NIMBYs and local authorities who almost inevitably deny them. Similar to the defeated SB 1117 in Arizona, […]
Glendale wants more affordable housing. This is how the city plans to get developers’ attention
Affordable housing developers could save roughly $300,000 to $1 million on community development fees now that Glendale voted to waive those fees in order to goose the supply in its city. This applies to projects awarded tax credits through the Arizona Department of Housing, but could be awarded in other cases if the city deems […]
Maricopa County to break ground on hundreds of new affordable housing units
Glendale is adding about 400 affordable units to its stock as part of a $120 million project on 12.9 acres that will include other amenities. It broke ground in March and will be finished in two phases. People with disabilities and special needs will move into some of the apartments, which will rent for $487 […]
