By Brady Wheeler | AZ Daily Sun
As area median income saw a steady rise of about 13% over the last decade, the median sales price for a home in Flagstaff has more than doubled.
Those were the findings from a local report presented to Flagstaff City Council on Tuesday as city staff presented a draft of the 10-year housing plan — which is now available for public review.
The plan is in response to a housing emergency declared by Council in December 2020 and is scheduled for final approval on Dec. 7 of this year.
The plan seeks solutions for the more than 22,000 residents who are considered “housing cost-burdened” by that same report.
The term is defined by the plan using standards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which states that households ideally should not pay more than “30% of the annual gross income on housing and housing-related expenses.”
Those paying more than 30% are considered to be cost-burdened, and may experience difficulty affording basic necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care, said Leah Bloom, the Affordable Housing Advancement Project manager.
The plan seeks to support cost-burdened individuals through financial assistance programs, also referred to as housing subsidies. It will determine who qualifies for the subsidies using area median income data, determined annually by HUD.
