PHOENIX — More affordable housing is coming to the Valley following the Phoenix City Council's approval of $9 million in federal grant funding on Wednesday, according to a news release.
The funding was awarded to six developers who will create separate projects throughout the Valley. Over 400 units will be built or preserved to address the needs of residents with incomes at or below 60% of the Area Median Income. Of those units, 11 City HOME unites will serve households at or below 40% AMI.
“In Phoenix, we are working with urgency to ensure that everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a news release. “The critical federal funding we approved today will enable developers to build or preserve housing across the city so more families in our community can access stable housing for decades to come.”
The push for more affordable housing has been a hot topic in State 48, and in 2020, the city created The Housing Phoenix Plan. The goal was to create and preserve 50,000 units by 2030, and so far, they have reached 80% of their goal.
Here is a look at the units being built:
- The Garfield III will be a 60-unit new build near 16th and Roosevelt Streets.
- The Alex Apartments will be a 59-unit new build near Osborn Road and 3rd Street.
- The Kazan Apartments will be a 72-unit new build with two locations near Thomas Road and 43rd Avenue.
- The Memorial Towers will be a 153-unit rehabilitated building near Pima Street and 7th Avenue.
- Resilient Living at Sunnyslope will be a 40-unit new build near Peoria and 19th Avenues.
- Osborn Pointe will be a new building near 3rd Street and Osborn Road.
This project received funding from the federal U.S. Department Of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships program. Since the launch of the Housing Phoenix Plan, more than 40,000 units have been created or preserved.
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
Mesa
Chandler
Scottsdale
Tempe
Glendale
Surprise
Peoria
Gilbert
El Mirage
Avondale
Litchfield Park
Goodyear
Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
Boomtown
In our “Boomtown” series, 12News takes a look at the Valley’s explosive growth over the past few decades, the consequences that came with it and a look at what it all means for our future as more than 1.5 million people are expected to move to the valley by 2040.
