New affordable homes are coming to Phoenix’s Garfield Historic District

PHOENIX – Developers and city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for an affordable home project in Phoenix’s Garfield Historic District.

Trellis Community Development is building 10 single-family houses on lots it purchased from the city in the downtown-area neighborhood.

Seven of the homes will be sold to households earning up to 120% of the area median income (AMI), while the other three are for households at 80% of AMI or less.

Buyers will be offered down payment assistance and low-interest gap financing, according to a press release.

What is the Garfield Historic District?

The Garfield Historic District is located on the eastern edge of downtown Phoenix, roughly bordered by Seventh Street to the west, 16th Street to the east, Roosevelt Street to the north and Van Buren Street to the south.

The neighborhood was originally developed from 1883 to 1955 as one of the first expansions of the original Phoenix townsite.

Construction is set to begin on the first three Trellis homes in January. The developer, which participates in the state-sponsored Arizona is Home down payment assistance program, expects to complete all 10 houses by the end of 2026.

The new houses will range from 960 to 1,500 square feet and have two to four bedrooms.

The energy-efficient homes will have bungalow-style architecture with front porches to reflect the character of the historic neighborhood.

How the Garfield affordable home project can help the community

City Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington of District 8, which includes Garfield, said the goal of the affordable home project is to create stability, security and opportunity for Phoenix families.

“These are forever homes. This is not like a unit where we have to worry about the terms of their lease being renewed or new ownership coming in and possibly revising the terms of the rental,” she said during Wednesday’s event. “These are their forever homes … and they are designed with accessibility and sustainability in mind to accommodate families at all stages.”

The project, which is being partially funded by voter-approved bonds and federal community development grants, will also provide buyers with the opportunity to build equity.

“This is one of the steps that we talked about for economic development. … We are allowing them to build and create generational wealth,” Hodge Washington said. “This is what it should look like, where opportunities are provided for all.”

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