Increasing Population Density Could Ease Rising Rents in Arizona, ASU Professor Says
PHOENIX — An Arizona State University professor said an increase in housing density could help ease rising rent in the state, but negative public perception would be an obstacle. While rents are on the rise in Arizona, with some reports finding they rose as much as 19% on average last year, an increase in the […]
Hikers upset home builder may redevelop part of North Phoenix desert
A Valley homebuilder wants to build up to 1,420 homes to the desert in North Phoenix, but not everyone is excited about the development plans. One group is fighting to keep the area near the Sonoran Preserve from turning into a huge, new housing community, called Verdin. The Sonoran Preserve includes more than 9,600 acres and […]
Council Shelves Ironwood Plan , Future in Doubt
The controversial 92 Ironwood apartment project near the intersection of 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard is dead for now, but it might come back in the future. Scottsdale City Council was scheduled to vote on rezoning the 8.59 acres earmarked for the site but developer Jim Riggs requested a second continuance. Riggs’ attorney Kurt […]
The time is now to build ‘world-class infrastructure’ in south Phoenix, residents say
The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, which sits alongside light-rail construction at Central and Watkins avenues, was a tranquil foil to the rustling of cars and construction trucks rushing by. The lazily lapping Salt River played host to ducks, their quacks interrupting human conversation, while the air teemed with a grassy, post-rain smell. […]
Arizona bill would use COVID-19 relief funds to create sanctioned homeless encampments
Arizona cities could use federal COVID-19 relief funds to establish sanctioned homeless camping areas under a new bill making its way through the state Legislature. Senate Bill 1581 would make $50 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds available to cities or counties to set up sanctioned homeless encampment areas and homeless outreach teams. […]
Rising Arizona Housing Prices Could Threaten Growth, But They Aren’t Inevitable
Phoenix, and Arizona, are rapidly gaining in population. New Arizonans — workers, neighbors, friends, and family to many of us — have come to our state for social and economic opportunity. We simply aren’t building homes fast enough to put roofs over their heads. Data from Zillow indicates that housing prices across Arizona have risen by […]
If cities don’t solve metro Phoenix’s housing crisis, everyone will pay
Opinion: Metro Phoenix has too few homes to meet demand, which is shooting up the price to buy or rent – at the risk of our economy and our quality of life. The conversation is happening on sidelines at soccer games. In classrooms at Arizona State University. Among friends and relatives who are increasingly […]
Simple Law of Supply and Demand Driving Rents
The law of supply and demand is a basic principle of economics, seen in action daily at the grocery store and gas pump. When demand rises and products grow scarce, prices jump. When supply is high and demand is low, prices fall. That same principle governs the Valley’s housing market. On an average […]
Wall Street Is Buying Starter Homes to Quietly Become America’s Landlord
(Bloomberg Businessweek) — Javier Vidana started out as a real estate agent in 2013, when Arizona’s Salt River Valley seemed wide open. It was the aftermath of a housing market crash that had seen the typical home value in the Phoenix metro area fall more than 50%, and a single parent with good credit could tap […]
How do we meet the demand for affordable housing if cities make it nearly impossible?
Opinion: There is a strong demand for housing products that city regulations make hard to bring to market. ‘By right’ zoning could get around that. The bill preempting municipal zoning and design standards for homes and apartments was held in committee and probably isn’t going anywhere this session. However, the concept of zoning […]
