Cochise County staff recommend $177,400 contract for ADOH-funded affordable housing plan

Cochise County development staff told the Board of Supervisors on May 4 that they will bring to the board a contract to produce an affordable housing plan paid for by a $194,450 grant from the Arizona Department of Housing.

Susan Bronson, Development Services, said the county put the work out to bid and received two proposals; ‘‘Elliot Pollock was awarded based upon the highest number of points that they received in evaluation,’’ she said. Bronson said the recommended award is $177,400, leaving room in the grant for a small administrative fee and contingency.

Bronson said the consultant will produce a housing needs assessment, an affordability assessment and an implementation and investment strategy. ‘‘We specifically stated that we wanted implementation action items, so it wouldn’t be a plan that would sit on the shelf,’’ she said, adding that at least 50% of the plan budget is allocated to implementation strategies.

Bronson also said the solicitation requested additional material for the City of Douglas, and the consultant proposed a ‘‘Housing and Economic Development Alignment Report’’ for Douglas that would examine workforce housing and city land and infrastructure that could support redevelopment for housing.

Board members asked about coordination with city studies. Bronson said the county plan will exclude the incorporated limits of Bisbee because the city is completing its own grant-funded housing study, but the county consultant will ‘‘look at us more holistically as a county and get at some of the needs within the unincorporated areas’’ including places just outside city limits.

Bronson estimated the study will run about six months and be largely data-driven, noting that data for small-population unincorporated areas is more limited and will rely on census and other sources. She said county staff will give existing comprehensive-plan data to the consultant and use the new study’s recommendations in future county planning.

The contract for consultant services and acceptance of the ADOH grant are listed as upcoming agenda items; no final board action was recorded during this preparatory meeting.