The push to expand affordable housing in Tucson took a positive leap recently, with the Pima County Board of Supervisors voting in favor of a $1 million finance booster, dedicated specifically to a new low-income housing project, according to an official release from the County. Set to rise on 22nd Street, this upcoming complex, featuring 72 apartments, aims to cater to the aging population with modest wallets, carving out a haven for 22 formerly homeless individuals through a partnership with the Primavera Foundation.
With solar panels slated to adorn its roof, the project not only promises shelter but sustainable solutions, the energy generated is intended to shoulder the burden of electricity bills for both common areas and personal abodes, included in the tenants' rent while pulling the development toward completion which the county's funding will aid. This financial injection from Pima County's coffers represents less than 4% of the project's total estimated cost of $27.86 million, filling in critical gaps of development and construction expenses as the blueprint transitions into bricks and mortar, as detailed in an announcement by Pima County.
Keeping pace with the economic realities of residents, rents for the apartments will be anchored to the Area Median Income, aligning with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's low-income benchmarks, ensuring affordability is not a moving target but a stable premise. “This project, focused on our elderly in Pima County, shows our Board of Supervisors’ and our community’s commitment to supporting our most vulnerable, especially those experiencing homelessness,” stated Sofia Blue, Pima County’s division manager for affordable housing, highlighting the county's dedication to aiding the less fortunate.
The housing initiative is a fragment of a larger scheme by the Board that spans beyond one building, with efforts also channeled into a comprehensive overhaul, marked by a recently approved housing market study and an inventive collaborative planning session known as a charrette. Immediacy is not lost on the Board either, as a $1 million grant for a Rapid Rehousing Program aimed at homeless families has been given the nod, set to provide transitional relief in the form of up to 120 units. Emphasizing long-term resolutions, the Commission's guidelines dictate a minimum 30-year period of affordability for residents making 80% or less of the AMI, a vision partly realized by the recent opening of Talavera Apartments — a project that rejuvenated 96 affordable rental units, celebrating its ribbon cutting on Aug. 20, as revealed in a Pima County news release.
The groundwork for another 64-unit complex, Desert Dove Apartments, is marked for Sept. 23, extending the reach of these initiatives and solidifying the resolve of Pima County to turn the tide on housing insecurity. The Board's progressive moves are guided by recommendations from the Pima County Regional Affordable Housing Commission, formulated last October to steer the county towards more inclusive and accessible housing options for its varied tapestry of residents.
