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Governor highlights four new housing laws, $150 million trust and mortgage assistance at press briefing
Summary
At a governor's briefing at the Offices of the Governor, officials highlighted four housing bills passed this session, a $150 million Housing Trust Fund appropriation that supported construction of more than 3,000 units, and a mortgage‑assistance program that the governor said has helped over 200 families buy their first home.
The Governor opened a press briefing at the Offices of the Governor to summarize this year’s housing progress and to highlight next steps for expanding affordable housing across the state. "Housing is a really critical foundation for providing stability, security and opportunity," the Governor said, and described lowering housing costs as a top administration priority.
The Governor outlined four bills the administration celebrated as progress this session: House Bill 2720 legalizing accessory multigenerational units (casitas); House Bill 2721 to promote missing‑middle housing types such as duplexes and triplexes; House Bill 2297 to encourage commercial‑to‑residential conversions; and S.B. 1162, which the Governor said streamlines zoning processes and requires municipalities to measure housing need.
Why it matters: the Governor said a historic $150 million deposit into the Housing Trust Fund has been appropriated for construction across the state and helped launch the "Arizona Is Home" mortgage assistance program. The Governor stated the deposit supported the construction of "over 3,000 affordable and transitional housing units" in one year and that the mortgage assistance program has allowed "over 200 Arizona families" to buy their first home.
Local leaders, developers and a homeowner described how the measures are being put into practice. Corey Woods, a mayor who spoke at the event, cited rising rents and local initiatives: "Rental prices in Arizona increased dramatically over the last six years by more than 50% from 2017 to 2023," he said, and described his city's 'Hometown for All' program and a local fundraising effort that has raised about $1 million for affordable housing projects. He also credited roughly $12 million in county and federal funding the city received to grow workforce housing.
Representatives from the private sector urged continued public‑private partnership. Owen met, introduced as a senior vice president and Mountain West development leader for Dominium, said the company is expanding in the state and plans additional construction that will create jobs and housing. Dan Clocky, director of development for Gorman and Company, praised the legislation and the Arizona Department of Housing’s speed in distributing funds, and cited an analysis suggesting the package could enable as many as 150,000 homes statewide.
A first‑time homebuyer invited to speak expressed gratitude for the administration’s assistance. The resident (invited as Andre) said the down‑payment help and staff support made homeownership possible for his family, and offered direct thanks to the program staff and the Governor.
The briefing closed with officials inviting questions from the audience.
What the briefing did not settle: officials described the laws and funding as tools to increase supply and help buyers, but they did not provide a detailed rollout timeline for the new measures or a line‑item breakdown of how the $150 million will be allocated to specific projects. The analysis cited about the potential for 150,000 homes was described as a recent study; the speaker did not provide a source in the briefing.
Next step: officials said they will continue working with cities, counties, developers and the legislature to implement the bills and expand homeownership programs; the public Q&A portion of the event was opened after the prepared remarks.
