Tucson presents third annual housing affordability update, highlights 1,200 units in development and programs to speed projects

Mayor and council received the Housing Affordability Strategy annual update from Anne Chineka, director of Housing and Community Development, and Corin Manning, interim director of Planning and Development Services. Chineka said the city is focusing on both preservation and creation across the housing continuum, from emergency shelters to market‑rate housing, and described progress since the plan was adopted in 2021.

Chineka said the city administers public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program, “We currently offer over 7,000 households housing assistance, over 17,000 residents,” and flagged a federal funding shortfall for operation of city‑owned housing. She identified three near‑term priorities for the housing authority’s financial stability plan: the Tucson House rehabilitation, a strategy for the city’s scattered single‑family public housing units, and progress on Craycroft Tower apartments.

The presentation described new staff capacity added in 2024, including a deputy director for development, a community development manager, a management coordinator (Antonio Carranza) focused on financial transactions, and a lead planner (Evelyn Somez). Planning and Development Services added a project manager to shepherd affordable projects through permitting.

Manning described a pilot affordable housing fast‑track permitting program that gave projects an assigned project manager and compressed review timelines; she said…