Buckeye reviews draft housing action plan as officials seek council priorities

City of Buckeye officials presented a draft Housing Action Plan at the Sept. 16 council workshop and asked the council to identify policy priorities and implementation tools before staff returns with a final document for adoption.

The plan, presented by Andrea Marquez, senior planner in Development Services, and Laney Corey, a planner with Matrix Design Group, is grant-funded and required by the state, Marquez said. "This plan is required by the state and supports city council strategic goals as well," Marquez told the council as she introduced the draft.

The consultants described the plan as having three phases: a quantitative housing needs assessment, a community engagement phase and the housing action plan that will recommend policy and implementation tools. The needs assessment delivered several headline findings, including a current shortage of housing units and a projected increase in that shortage if current trends continue. Staff said the assessment identified a shortage of 2,840 units today and projected that figure could grow to 11,730 units by 2029.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the plan is intended not to impose immediate regulatory changes but to give the city a toolbox of policies, incentives and partnerships to address shortages, diversify housing types, and support workforce and senior housing as…