Arizona Republic: Arizona Has a Housing Crisis. Here’s How Gov.-Elect Katie Hobbs Plans To Solve It

Arizona Republic: Arizona Has a Housing Crisis. Here’s How Gov.-Elect Katie Hobbs Plans To Solve It

Experts praise Hobbs’ plans to build more affordable housing, lower costs, and create a more equitable Arizona

PHOENIX – Today in the Arizona Republic, experts praised Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs’ housing plan and highlighted the many ways it will tackle Arizona’s housing crisis in a methodical, forward-looking, and compassionate manner.

Arizona should be the best place to live, work, and raise a family, but one thing in particular has a disproportionate impact on Arizona’s rising costs: housing. As Governor-Elect Hobbs spotlighted throughout her campaign and career in social work and public service, access to affordable housing is essential for building long-term prosperity, our workforce, and building strong families to ensure our kids receive a quality education. That’s why as Governor, Hobbs will prioritize implementing comprehensive solutions to address this critical issue and help uplift all Arizonans.

Read on for key excerpts from the Arizona Republic’s article:

• “Hobbs’ plan proposes encouraging local zoning changes, providing legal aid to families facing eviction and investing in the Housing Trust Fund, which funds affordable housing development and assistance programs, among other strategies. At a Nov. 1 press conference, Hobbs introduced the plan and called housing one of the state’s ‘most urgent problems.’”

• “‘We can’t tackle the housing crisis without tackling skyrocketing costs,’ said Hobbs, a Democrat.”

• “Her plan starkly contrasts with former Republican opponent Kari Lake’s homelessness plan, which sought to expand shelter space and substance use treatment services but also called unsheltered people ‘drugged out and deranged’ and encouraged aggressive policing of minor crimes.”

• “Joanna Carr, research and policy director for the Arizona Housing Coalition, said Hobbs’ plan is ‘substantive’ and ‘well thought-out.’ ‘It provides a lot of hope in the political will, I would say, that the new leadership will bring,’ Carr said.”

• “Housing experts praised the plan’s emphasis on changing statewide systems, rather than focusing on individual behavior, and appreciated its comprehensive approach to fixing the housing crisis.”

• “When coupled with Hobbs’ other plans for making Arizona more affordable and fostering equity, the housing plan ‘really has potential to have significant impact in the state,’ said Cynthia Zwick, executive director of the anti-poverty nonprofit Wildfire.’Carr, of the Arizona Housing Coalition, said she was excited that the plan aims to once again enable local governments to regulate short-term vacation rentals. It’s an idea, she said, that has been hard to get political leaders behind in the past. She also appreciated the plan’s emphasis on cross-sector collaboration and allowing for local government control.”