Board approves consultant contract for countywide affordable housing plan

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors on May 6 approved a contract with a consultant to prepare a countywide affordable housing plan, funded in part by a grant from the Arizona Department of Housing.

Supervisor Kathleen Gomez moved to approve contract 25-09-DEV-01 with Elliot Pollock (listed in the meeting as the highest-scoring proposer) for $177,400. County Development Services staff told the board the county secured an Arizona Department of Housing grant for $194,004.50 to support the work and issued a request for qualifications; two proposals were received and Elliot Pollock scored highest.

The scope described by Development Services includes a housing needs assessment, a housing investment strategy, and a specific component titled “housing and economic development alignment for the City of Douglas” that was added in response to the City of Douglas’s outreach comments. Staff noted the Douglas element is intended to address local economic ties, including anticipated demand related to the port of entry and broader economic development.

Why it matters: The contract funds a countywide planning effort that will recommend strategies to increase affordable housing and align housing with economic development, including targeted work for Douglas. The plan will inform local policy and investment decisions.

Discussion and next steps: Board members asked about the Douglas-specific element and staff said the consultant can be guided during plan development to cover the requested topics. The motion to approve the contract carried; the transcript records the motion, a second and the chair’s announcement that the motion passed, but does not show a roll-call tally. Staff will proceed under the terms of the contract and the grant; the transcript does not specify reporting deadlines or implementation milestones.