New affordable housing option in Phoenix opens for single parents pursuing college degrees

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Scholar House is now open, offering single parents working toward a college degree an affordable housing option.

Tenants must have a high school diploma or GED and be enrolled in a university to apply.

There are 56 units in the facility, which is near Thomas Road and 16th Street, with 20 designated for the scholar program.

The monthly rent is $526 for a one-bedroom apartment, $644 for two bedrooms and $727 for three bedrooms. Tenants must earn below certain income thresholds to qualify.

Mesha Davis, chief philanthropy officer of Save the Family Foundation of Arizona, told KTAR News 92.3 FM the goal is to raise the college graduation rate for single parents.

“The whole premise around (it) is to (combine) education and housing so that people can go and get a higher earning job, so they can go get an apprenticeship, a trade, a certificate, a degree from a traditional college. We’re trying to break that whole cycle of poverty, and we want to really get them to self-sufficiency,” Davis said.

Davis noted that career and educational services are also provided for the tenants and program participants living outside the scholar house.

“We provide financial literacy. We help coordinate their childcare, make sure their kids can stay in their same school district if they have to move,” she said. “There are programs that help with that, that we partner with. And we also help them with budgeting, their career planning … each person is customized.”

Davis added that after tenants graduate from college, they do not need to move out of  Phoenix Scholar House but instead have the option to switch to one of the more expensive apartments to open up a scholar spot for a student.

CORRECTION: An early version of this story had inaccurate information about the rent.

Related

Gov. Katie Hobbs joins groundbreaking for 168-unit affordable housing project in south PhoenixConstruction starts on 237-unit downtown Phoenix affordable housing projectArizona voters to choose Republican and Democratic nominees for top education positionFormer Mesa High School official claims that an inaccurate police report destroyed his careerFormer ASU President, who elevated university’s status, dies at 89Peoria Unified names new principal for school at center of teacher sex scandal