Title
Affordable Housing and Housing Phoenix Plan Update
Description
This report provides an update to the Economic Development and Equity Subcommittee on the Housing Phoenix Plan and information on the Housing Department's affordable housing efforts.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Housing Department programs provide housing vouchers, public housing units, affordable rental apartments and single-family homes to more than 35,000 residents. These programs include partnering with non-profit and for-profit organizations to create or preserve affordable housing units. A Housing Department snapshot of programs is included in Attachment A.
As the Public Housing Authority (PHA) for the City of Phoenix, the Housing Department is responsible for administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program along with operating public housing units.
Currently, the Housing Department has an allocation of over 7,300 vouchers. Developed to incentivize landlords to provide more affordable housing units to voucher holders, the City launched the Landlord Incentive Program in 2020. This program offers a one-time payment to landlords for each Housing Assistance Payment contract they execute. Since the Landlord Incentive Program’s inception, more than 2,200 incentive payments have been disbursed to over 1,000 landlords.
As a PHA, the Housing Department operates 1,200 public housing units. These units serve families and seniors and are comprised of apartment communities and scattered single-family residences. In addition to the public housing units, the City provides more than 3,500 units, with an additional 300 under construction, in apartment communities throughout Phoenix that serve low-income residents.
Facilitated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds, the Department has provided gap financing to affordable housing rental development projects in addition to down payment assistance for first-time home buyers. Since 1993, HOME funds have supported the creation or preservation of over 7,700 single-family and multifamily units.
Recognizing that affordable, accessible and decent housing is of critical importance to a community’s health and viability, the Housing Department embarked on an Affordable Housing Initiative in 2019 that resulted in the creation of the Housing Phoenix Plan.
City Council approved the Housing Phoenix Plan on June 16, 2020, with a vision to create a stronger and more vibrant Phoenix through increased housing options for residents at all income levels and family sizes. To achieve this vision, the Plan set out a goal of creating or preserving 50,000 units by 2030 through the implementation of the nine policy initiatives outlined below.
1. Prioritize New Housing in Areas of Opportunity.
2. Amend Current Zoning Ordinance to Facilitate More Housing Options.
3. Redevelop City-Owned Land with Mixed-Income Housing.
4. Enhance Public-Private Partnerships and Increase Public, Private and Philanthropic Financing.
5. Building Innovations and Cost Saving Practices.
6. Increase Affordable Housing Developer Representation.
7. Expand Efforts to Preserve Existing Housing Stock.
8. Support Affordable Housing Legislation.
9. Education Campaign.
As of Dec. 31, 2022, over 26,000 units have been created or preserved toward the Plan's 50,000-unit goal. The latest Housing Phoenix Plan quarterly report is included as Attachment B.
Staff will present an overview of existing affordable housing programs, planned efforts and key Housing Phoenix Plan initiative updates to the Economic Development and Equity Subcommittee.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Housing Department.