Jeremy Duda
Axios Phoenix
Unless her hands are wielding a signing pen or veto stamp, Gov. Katie Hobbs is taking a hands-off approach to negotiations over legislation to increase Arizona’s dwindling housing supply.
The big picture: After vetoing a bill intended to facilitate construction of starter homes by removing some municipal authority over zoning restrictions, Hobbs told reporters Monday she wants to see cities, affordable housing advocates and other stakeholders negotiating solutions.
But she doesn’t see a role for herself in those talks.
“I don’t necessarily think it needs my involvement. They’re the ones most closely involved in this issue,” Hobbs said.
Why it matters: A legislative study committee in 2022 found that Arizona was short about 270,000 housing units.
That shortage is driving up costs to both buy and rent housing, and is fueling the state’s homelessness crisis.
The Sedona City Council last week voted to create a temporary space where workers can sleep in their cars due to the lack of affordable housing.
Driving the news: The vetoed legislation would have prohibited cities from requiring certain aesthetic and design features on single-family homes and barred mandates that people form homeowners associations.
Hobbs called it “a step too far” and said it “would put Arizonans at the center of a housing reform experiment with unclear outcomes.”
Mayors from across the state, as well as the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, opposed the bill.
The other side: Proponents of the bipartisan bill called the veto disappointing, and criticized Hobbs’ assertion that her administration doesn’t need to be involved in negotiations.
