La Esperanza Terrace opens in West Phoenix; speakers say county funding and school land helped finance 96 affordable units

La Esperanza Terrace, a 96-unit affordable housing development on surplus school district land in West Phoenix, opened with speakers citing county funding and a school-district land initiative as key to the project.

Arizona native Amanda Torres, a resident who said she is one of the first occupants, described housing costs as a recent hardship: "Over the last 5 years, housing has become unaffordable for me," Torres said. "It's really insane. I talked to my neighbors over at the other complex, and they're like, it's so stressful. Like, I feel like I'm working paycheck to paycheck."

The project sits on land from the Isaac Elementary School District that had been vacant, and presenters at the event credited a new approach that uses surplus school property to expand housing supply. Speakers at the event said the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved $6,000,000 to help build the facility.

Jackson Fonder, chief executive officer of UMOM — the nonprofit developer — said the organization has developed about 10 housing complexes in the past 13 years and that La Esperanza Terrace responds to rising rents and population growth in the county. "I think this community, especially in the last 5 years, we've seen inflation go way up. We've seen rents skyrocket. The number of people that are moving to Maricopa County continue to increase. There's just not enough stock of affordable housing," Fonder said.

Maricopa County officials noted American Rescue Plan funds have contributed to local affordable housing finance: county speakers said Maricopa County has used American Rescue Plan dollars to fund 1,035 affordable housing units so far.

District 5 Supervisor Steve Gallardo said the model could be replicated across the Phoenix metropolitan area. "These are projects that can be duplicated all over Maricopa County. Let it be the East Valley, the North Valley. This is something it has created the blueprint to say this is how we finance these types of housing communities," Gallardo said.

Project details announced at the event list 96 total units: 32 one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom units. La Esperanza Terrace will offer on-site employment services. According to remarks at the event, applicants must earn at or below 60% of the area median income to qualify; organizers said applications can be made in person at the complex leasing office.

Speakers framed the development as an example of a public–private and intergovernmental approach that uses underused district land and county funding to expand affordable housing options. The event did not include detailed vote records or the full financing breakdown, which were not specified in the remarks presented at the opening.

Residents and organizers said they hope the project serves as a blueprint for more developments across Maricopa County.