Tucson officials announced the City will receive a $50M grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhoods program in support of its affordable housing efforts.
The money will go toward renovations at the Tucson House public housing development and to help develop three new affordable housing communities.
The funding is directed toward Tucson’s Thrive in the ’05 initiative, which plans to create 550 new or rehabilitated housing units focused in the 85705 ZIP Code area.
Tucson House is Tucson’s largest public housing site, with 408 units on North Oracle Road. The plan is to convert the building into a 55+ mixed-income community. Part of that plan includes creating three new housing developments with additional on-site services. Planned locations include a former restaurant site on Stone Avenue and building additional housing at the Amazon Motel location on Miracle Mile.
Tucson has approved a development agreement with Gorman & Company to serve as co-developer on the Tucson House improvements and other potential housing developments.
In 2019, the City also contracted with architect Poster Mirto McDonald for an assessment of Tucson House. The final budget estimate to renovate Tucson House at the time was $67M, but the current cost and scope are not known. (Source)