Acacia Heights opens second phase in Central Phoenix; Maricopa County contributed $1.6 million

Lorena Pacheco, a Phoenix resident, said she and her three children moved into the newly opened second phase of Acacia Heights in Central Phoenix after losing their home in 2022 and receiving a June 2024 diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

The second phase of Acacia Heights opened this month with 212 affordable units and amenities that include a fitness center and a playground, a presenter said. To qualify for most family units, households generally must earn between 40 and 60 percent of area median income, and rents are set according to those income ranges.

“ We did lose our home, my kids and I, back in 2022 due to a situation that we weren't safe at. In June of 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer,” Pacheco said. She said she and her children had been living with family and began searching for housing in late July. “I wanted all 3 kids under 1 roof,” she added.

Maricopa County partnered with Housing For Hope, Catholic Charities Community Services, the Arizona Department of Housing and the City of Phoenix on the development, and the county invested $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan funds for Acacia Heights, the presenter said. The presenter also said Maricopa County has funded 3,889 housing units since the pandemic.

Pacheco described a personal reason for wanting her own apartment. “It feels amazing to be able to live at a place where I grew up, where I can also afford on my own,” she said. She also noted the apartment's view of Camelback Mountain.

There were no formal votes or motions recorded in the transcript related to the development during this item.