Tucson presents third annual update on housing affordability strategy; city highlights pipeline and zoning changes

Tucson Mayor and Council heard the city’s third annual update on its Housing Affordability Strategy during the January 7 study session, with Housing and Community Development staff laying out progress on development, preservation and zoning measures meant to expand affordable housing across the housing continuum.

The update matters because city staff say the region remains underproducing housing and faces competing demands — emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, affordable multifamily and single-family units — and because the city is using local funds, federal grants and zoning changes to close financing and permitting gaps.

Director of Housing and Community Development Anne Chineka and Interim Director of Planning and Development Services Corin Manning led the presentation, summarizing 10 initiatives in the strategy and citing projects under construction and in development. Chineka said the city “works across the housing continuum” and argued that preservation of existing city-owned stock and targeted gap funding are central priorities. “Keeping people in their homes is one of the best ways to move towards housing affordability,” she said.

Officials said the city directly owns roughly 2,000 housing units across public housing and the El Portal portfolio; they said about 550 of those are single-family scattered homes. The city’s Housing Choice Voucher program serves “over 7,000 households” comprising “over 17,000 residents,” according to staff. Chineka told council staff are working on a financial stability plan for the city-owned portfolio and three priority projects for the coming year: the Tucson House rehabilitation project…