Tempe expands affordable housing with new redevelopment plans

Mayor Corey Woods from the City of Tempe joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss his plans on expanding affordable housing in the city.

Just this past week, the city announced they recently closed on the sale of the large Food City Plaza in North Tempe. The plaza will be redeveloped for mixed-income housing, a grocery store and other amenities.

This is one of six projects planned for the future, designed to expand affordable housing in the City of Tempe. This is all being driven by the city’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Hometown for All Initiative.

This January will be four years since the initiative’s start and was recently honored by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

“To date, we’ve had $9.4 million in city investment and over $22 million in donations and pledges towards that program,” Woods said. “So it’s been exceptionally successful thus far.”

Last year, Maricopa County awarded the City of Tempe $10.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to increase affordable housing in Northern Tempe. Rep. Greg Stanton also secured nearly $1.7 million in federal funds to support the city’s efforts to add more affordable housing.

“We’re looking to do three things [in Northern Tempe],” Woods said. “We’re looking to bring in mixed-income housing to that development with a minimum of at least 50 affordable units on site, we’re looking to also make sure there’s still a grocery option for the people in that neighborhood, and we’re also going to be building a police sub-station along with a training facility.”