At a Feb. 5 press conference held at The Reserve at Thunderbird, a new construction, mixed income, integrated, supportive housing development, the city of Phoenix celebrated reaching the goal of creating or preserving 50,000 housing units – five years ahead of its 2030 goal. As of Dec. 31, 2024, that number reached more than 53,000. Approved in June 2020, the goal was set in the Housing Phoenix Plan (www.phoenix.gov/housing/plan).
According to a press release sent after the event, of the 53,000 housing units created or preserved to date, 20.7 percent are considered affordable units (5,118 created/5,907 preserved), and 24.7 percent are considered workforce units (13,165 created), resulting in nearly half of all new or preserved homes in the city geared toward households earning 120 percent or less of the area median income. Market-rate units made up the bulk of the number, with a reported 29,022 units created.
The city touted other initiatives aimed at ensuring housing is affordable, equitable and attainable, including: Zoning ordinance changes that facilitate more housing options and address accessory dwelling units, multifamily parking standards, mobile homes, and the Walkable Urban Code; 20 percent of land zoned for multifamily housing (36,480 acres), representing the largest percentage of multifamily in Maricopa County for cities with 75,000+ residents; 1,382 shelter beds planned or added since 2022; and Wi-Fi at more than 35 affordable housing communities, ensuring 4,200 low-income residents have free access to high-speed internet, and connecting them to jobs, telehealth, and education opportunities.
