Tempe Mayor Corey Woods says going vertical could be solution to affordable housing
Jan 23, 2023, 2:15 PM
(Facebook Photo/City of Tempe)
(Facebook Photo/City of Tempe)
PHOENIX – Figuring out how to expand housing in a landlocked city is a challenge many Valley leaders face. Tempe Mayor Corey Woods believes the answer could be a matter of looking up.
“We don’t get to grow out, we have to grow up,” Woods said Monday on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.
The East Valley suburb takes up about 42 square miles outside of Phoenix.
“How do we meet the housing demand of not just the population that’s here today but the newer populations that are coming in?” Woods said.
RELATED STORIES
“All of the development in Tempe is pretty much infill, it’s all redevelopment of an existing space. Those are some of the challenges we face.”
One way is to find add more housing on smaller spaces via taller buildings.
“We have a lot of multihousing going up in and around the downtown area,” Woods said.
The Tempe City Council approved a housing initiative in January 2021 that provides a dedicated source of funding for affordable and workforce housing.
For every development project built in Tempe, an amount equivalent to 50% of certain permitting fees is paid to the city to support that housing.
“[We] to make sure we have enough affordable and workforce housing options to ensure that we maintain the diversity the city is so well known for,” Woods said.
