Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
County housing assessment: staff cite long-term shortage, developers and incentives discussed
Loading...
Summary
Mohave County staff updated supervisors on the 2023 housing needs assessment, saying the county faces a multi-decade shortfall, low vacancy rates and barriers including construction costs and infrastructure; staff described engagement with developers, LIHTC projects and apprenticeship programs to boost capacity.
County staff briefed the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 6 about progress toward the 2023 Mohave County Housing Needs Assessment goals and recommendations, emphasizing a persistent shortfall in housing across income levels and a mix of policy and market barriers.
Director Smith (Community Services) summarized the study background: the county contracted CFS Group, completed the assessment in August 2023, and the board approved the report in October 2023 after public engagement including more than 800 surveys, 20 stakeholder interviews, advisory committees and public hearings. Smith said the study identified a long-term need countywide and provided policy guidance and an interactive map for locations and strategies.
On numbers, staff said the assessment estimated roughly 50,000 housing units would be needed countywide through 2045 (about 2,300 units per year) and reported a vacancy rate below 1% in 2023. Smith also cited roughly 8,200 units lacking that were needed for rental demand. In 2024, county-issued single-family residence permits were reported at about 1,650, leaving the county roughly 650 units behind the pace implied by the study.
Smith and Economic Development staff described recent activity: two Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments launched in Bullhead City, projects advancing in Lake Havasu City and Colorado City, and developer interest from companies including Boxabl and Strata International. Smith said Strata is working on multiple local estimates. Staff also discussed contractor workforce actions: apprenticeship grants (ARPA-funded) and pre-apprenticeship dual-credit programs tied to local schools.
Barriers the briefing noted include high construction inflation during 2020—2022, infrastructure costs (water, wastewater) for larger projects, difficulty securing LIHTC points under the Qualified Allocation Plan without redevelopment designations or public partnerships, and contractor availability. Smith said one large subdivision developer is pursuing a state grant (more than $1 million) for wastewater treatment improvements.
Board members asked for follow-up. Supervisor Lettman asked when the assessment will be updated; Smith said the housing plan is a living document that the county revisits annually and to the Housing Authority board each March. Supervisor Gould and others pressed staff to bring specific regulatory recommendations from the report (zoning and code changes such as lot coverage, setbacks, parking and accessory dwelling unit rules) to the Board for possible action; staff said updates and options will be brought forward and that a zoning-code update is planned.
Smith also discussed veterans'targeted housing: the county has voucher-based programs and is pursuing additional vouchers with the VA; Kingman Veteran Villas and similar projects were cited as local models.
The presentation closed with staff highlighting that addressing the shortfall will require multiple approaches—single-family construction, multifamily projects, ADUs, factory-built options and public-private partnerships—and with continued coordination among county departments, cities and developers.
