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Senators shared feedback from Arizonans after two events held in state focused on housing affordability and accessibility
Washington – Arizona Senator Kirsten Cinema said during a Senate Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee hearing, citing two recent events she held last month with key Arizona housing stakeholders, Arizona We spoke about ongoing housing affordability and accessibility challenges state and nationally.
“Housing is one of the biggest issues we hear about in Arizona. It has a direct impact on the state’s rise in homelessness,” said Cinema, a member of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development.
Earlier this week, Cinema met with the White Mountain Apache and San Carlos housing authorities to discuss solutions to the challenges of housing affordability and accessibility in tribal communities. Cinema has discussed its success with both tribal housing authorities. This includes using the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) to build more affordable housing units and provide accessible housing while supporting the careers of tribe members. Includes a way to expand your options. The senators also broke down barriers that prevented tribes from accessing infrastructure funding and worked with tribes to expand affordable housing by rehabilitating existing homes contaminated with methamphetamine and fentanyl. promised to continue.
Last month, Sinema held two events with major Phoenix housing stakeholders. Cinema is the largest provider of shelter services in Maricopa County.He got a first tour of UMOM and saw first-hand how its innovative model provides childcare and workforce development alongside shelter services. . Sinema then brought together industry stakeholders and affordability advocates to assess the Arizona market, identify supply challenges in his chain that are hindering capital spending, and provide solutions to those challenges. is created.
During these events, cinema said Arizona was in short supply and needed to build more units to make housing more affordable and accessible for everyday Arizonas. I heard. Specifically, Arizona needs approximately 250,000 more affordable units to meet increased demand.
According to December report According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness in Arizona is set to grow by a staggering 23% from 2020 to 2022. At the same time, median home prices in Phoenix increased by more than $100,000 between January 2021 and July 2022. The severity of the homeless crisis and the shortage of affordable housing.
During her childhood, the cinema family suffered from housing insecurity and experienced homelessness. In January, senators secured Veterans Assistance Housing (VASH) vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needed to provide permanent housing for Arizona veterans experiencing homelessness. .
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