By Parker Leavitt, The Republic | azcentral.com
As needy residents await affordable housing in Gilbert, the town is giving up its share of federal housing grants — worth $484,000 — to other Valley communities, and Town Council politics are at least partly responsible.
As a member of the Maricopa County HOME Consortium, Gilbert receives about $175,000 each year to spend on affordable housing initiatives. For several years, the town has sent that money to the non-profit Save the Family, which operates an affordable- housing complex in Gilbert.
That’s changing this year. The council has voted to send its grant funding to Chandler and Scottsdale rather than spend it at home. Meanwhile, the wait for residents to get into Save the Family’s Gilbert housing can span several months.
