Senator discussed potential solutions with Arizona housing and industry experts
PHOENIX – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, convened a roundtable focused on housing affordability and supply challenges facing Arizona communities with leading industry experts and affordable housing advocates.
“Arizonans continue to experience a crunch in their finances with the ongoing and growing affordability crisis in our state. My family experienced it when I was young – at one point in my childhood, we lost our home and struggled. This personal experience fuels my work and I’m grateful for the partnership of Arizonans across the housing industry as we support everyday families building better lives for themselves and their families,” said Sinema.
During the meeting, Sinema expressed her support for several solutions that would help mitigate the affordability crisis straining families across Arizona. Sinema recently cosponsored legislation to double the value of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, a key federal incentive to develop more affordable housing supply in Arizona, delivered historic investments in water, a key bottleneck to develop new housing, and is currently leading state efforts with partners to identify a long-term plan on water supply.
According to a December report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness in Arizona rose by a staggering 23% from 2020 to 2022. At the same time, the median price of homes in Phoenix rose by more than $100,000 between January 2021 and July 2022 – illustrating the severity of the homelessness crisis and affordable housing shortage.
In her childhood, Sinema’s family struggled with housing insecurity and experienced homelessness. Last month, the Senator secured the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers needed to provide permanent housing to Arizona veterans experiencing homelessness.