Flagstaff City Council has unanimously adopted a 10-year housing plan to address the “Affordable Housing Emergency” declared in 2020.
The City conducted extensive outreach in assembling the plan, including surveys, more than 16 hours of public comment, 600 written submissions and contributions of more than 1,000 hours of work from 80 volunteers.
Flagstaff’s average rent is $1,750/month. More than half of survey respondents said they pay too much in rent to save for a house, and 83% said home prices were a barrier to the ability to buy.
The surveys also revealed more than 58% of respondents would consider relocating away from Flagstaff due to the cost of housing there.
The 10-year plan lists strategic motivators including:
- “Incentivize the creation of new affordable units,”
- “Implement a framework for centering equity in proposed and existing housing practices,”
- “Encourage the adaptive reuse of buildings,” and
- “Integrate housing into healthcare programs.”
A bond measure will be presented on the 2022 ballot seeking additional funding for housing efforts that will be used in conjunction with other monies from local, state and federal sources. (Source)