Prosperity Initiative team reports regional anti‑poverty plan progress; HUD pro‑housing grant awarded

Assistant City Manager Liz Morales and Housing & Community Development staff on Jan. 22 briefed Mayor and Council on progress implementing the Prosperity Initiative, a regional framework designed to reduce intergenerational poverty through 13 evidence‑based policies across jobs, housing, health and education.

Overview and origin: The initiative grew from a regional task force and research partnerships with the University of Arizona and Pima County and was intended to select policies with an evidence base for improving household outcomes across generations. The 13 policies are grouped into jobs, housing, health and education buckets and include cross‑cutting strategies such as a two‑generation approach and focus on environmental justice.

Scan of existing city work: City staff reported a scan showing more than 96 existing city programs and initiatives that align with 1 or more prosperity policies, and said departments are incorporating Prosperity Initiative concepts into departmental and citywide planning. Staff flagged transit fare‑free policy as an example that supports job access, and noted the city’s People, Communities and Homes Investment Plan will serve as a five‑year strategic vehicle to align investments with the initiative.

Grant and partnerships: Staff said the city led a regional application for a federal pro‑housing grant and learned on Jan. 22 that the award of roughly $7 million will finance technical assistance and regulatory work to unlock affordable housing development. Staff also described a new community coalition for prosperity that includes nonprofit and business leaders and said they are developing region‑level indicators with the Urban Institute to measure progress.

Proposition 414 tie: Staff highlighted that the proposed Safe and Vibrant City sales‑tax ballot measure (Prop 414) would fund programs that address seven of the 13 Prosperity Initiative policies, including housing mobility, shelter and workforce development. Staff said they plan to return in the first quarter of 2025 with a work plan, city‑level metrics and a public website to track progress.

Ending: Mayor and Council asked staff to provide the research basis for policy choices and to quantify return on investment as the work plan and budget choices are developed.