By Pima County
Three affordable housing developments supported by Pima County gap funding have each received allocations of $2.5M in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, moving closer to delivering nearly 200 new affordable homes for local residents.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved $500K in gap funding for each project, helping developers secure additional financing and compete for the tax credits through the Arizona Department of Housing.
- The Stone & Speedway Phase 1 project received $500K in County gap funding and is planned as a mixed-income development. The first phase will include 56 housing units (44 affordable), with additional housing planned in a future phase.
- El Rincón received $500K in County gap funding for a development that will create 67 affordable housing units across two infill sites, including a larger site at 560 W. Davis St. in Barrio Anita and a second site near North Main Avenue and West St. Mary’s Road.
- Drexel Commons, located at Drexel Road and Bonney Avenue, also received $500K in County support. The project will provide 72 affordable rental units
The Board of Supervisors further supported the southside Drexel Commons project by selling the vacant land for the nominal amount of $200 as permitted by state statute.
Multiple County departments work together to further the County’s strategies under the 10-year Regional Housing Strategy and Funding Plan, including the development of housing affordable to low-income households in Community Revitalization Areas – higher-poverty areas identified in the city and county for housing and non-housing reinvestment to improve opportunity for residents in these neighborhoods. Drexel Commons is the first affordable housing project to be developed in a Pima County Community Revitalization Area.
In addition to increasing housing supply, the 10-year plan, approved by the Board in March 2026, addresses housing diversity through County zoning code changes, and housing stability through programs such as Emergency Eviction Legal Services, rental/utility assistance, and home weatherization and repair.
Even before the strategy was formally adopted, the County had begun investing in housing projects aligned with its goals. The Board has approved the investment of $20,984,361 in gap funding for 28 projects after recommendations from the Regional Affordable Housing Commission. Those approvals will preserve or develop a total of 1,857 affordable housing units in Pima County. A list of all the projects is available at pima.gov.
The Board has further strengthened its commitment to these priorities, having approved $250M for affordable housing and keeping people housed over a 10-year period beginning in Fiscal Year 2026-27.
The commitment supports the Board-approved One Pima Initiative, which identifies stabilizing housing and preventing homelessness as a priority area. The actions also align with the housing pillar of the Board-approved Prosperity Initiative, a regional partnership to reduce generational poverty. (Source: Pima County)
