Bipartisan panel urges zoning reform, better messaging, city-developer collaboration
Arizona leaders shared their triumphs and challenges confronting the housing crisis at the Arizona Regional Pro-Housing Policy Forum held last week in Phoenix.
Key speakers included U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, and former Mesa Mayor John Giles. The forum was organized by Up For Growth, a nonprofit that advocates for housing affordability and availability nationwide.
Housing Is Most Important Issue Nationwide
“Housing is the most pressing issue we have in this country today,” Woods said. “It’s my top priority as mayor.”
Woods touted Tempe’s Hometown For All program, launched in 2021. Thus far, the program has collected more than $10 million in city permit fees and $4 million in developer donations for land acquisition and the construction of affordable and workforce housing.
“Our job is to ensure we have enough housing stock so anyone who wants to live and work in our community can do so without being cost-burdened,” said Woods.
Cooperation Between Cities and Developers
Giles said city leaders have been blamed unfairly for slowing down apartment development with red tape.
Although he acknowledged some bureaucracy needs to be streamlined, he emphasized that he believes cities are not the enemy. When planning departments make rules or ask developers for changes, Giles said, it’s to ensure the projects will be safe, visually attractive and long-lasting for the community.
“I hope the development community will partner with local governments because we agree on 90% of the issues out there,” Giles said.
Need For Zoning Reform
Ansari, elected to Congress last November, has joined with U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly and U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton to introduce legislation to increase housing affordability across the country.
Ansari noted reforms she was able to push on the Phoenix City Council before being elected to Congress, including allowing homeowners to build casitas as accessory dwelling units and simplifying parking requirements.
But she said other experiences convinced her that anti-development activists have too much power to slow projects down unnecessarily. She cited one project that was stalled for two years because of a handful of opponents.
Ansari said zoning reform is needed to curb these outliers.
Speak Louder In Support of Housing
Woods said too often the loudest voices are those against multifamily construction, even though there is a “silent majority” of the community that is in favor.
“We need more YIMBYs,” Woods said, referring to pro-development residents known as “Yes In My Backyard.”
“It is critically important that you talk to your family and friends and neighbors who care about creating more housing and get them to send emails to the city council and show up to meetings,” he said.
Ansari agreed. She said sometimes people think their calls to members of Congress don’t make a difference.
“I can assure you they do,” said the Phoenix Democrat.
