By Juliette Rihl | Arizona Republic
Local governments play a crucial role in creating affordable housing. They control zoning codes, set design requirements and reign over the project approval process, which all impact the price and availability of homes. They can also fund affordable housing programs and encourage development with incentives.
But city and town council candidates across the Valley disagree on what steps they should take to rectify Arizona’s housing crisis. The state is short 270,000 residential units, according to the Arizona Department of Housing.
Most candidates in Phoenix said affordable housing topped their list of concerns. They proposed streamlining the city’s approval processes, fast-tracking affordable housing projects and incentivizing developers to build affordable units.
“Everyone wants a magic bullet, but there is no such thing in housing. The only solution is ‘build, baby, build,’” said Phoenix District 6 candidate Sam Stone in an email.
Meanwhile, candidates in Scottsdale, Gilbert and Peoria prefer low-density growth and oppose large apartment buildings.
