Around 600 New Affordable Apartments Coming to Maricopa County

PHOENIX, AZ — More than 600 affordable housing units will soon be added to the Valley's housing stock, as many in the Phoenix metro area struggle to find housing they can afford and to pay increasing rents.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to approve $17 Million to fund affordable housing projects, including a hotel conversion that will create 50 apartments in Phoenix and new construction set to create 368 apartments in the West Valley and 192 apartments in central Phoenix.

The funding comes to Maricopa County through the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a news release from the county.

Around $8 million of the total will go to Arizona Housing, Inc., to convert a hotel on Van Buren Street in central Phoenix into a permanent, supportive housing complex with 50 units.

In addition to improvements to ensure hotel rooms are suitable for longer-term living, the former hotel property will offer on-site case management to help residents with barriers to employment and to match them with any other services they might need.

Construction is set to begin late this year, and is forecast to be completed in summer 2023, according to the county.

"I appreciate the innovative thinking and partnerships involved in turning an old hotel into a place where people at risk of homelessness can live long-term," Maricopa County Board Chairman Bill Gates said in a news release. "With creative approaches like this, and the continued commitment and investment of our Board, we can make a significant impact on the affordable housing challenges our community faces."

Around $6 million of the total will go to the Gorman Group to build the 368 new apartments at the southeast corner of 67th and Glendale avenues in Glendale. Construction of Centerline on Glendale is set to happen in two phases, with 186 apartments in the first phase and 182 units in the second phase.

The remaining $3 million of the $17 million total will go to Ulysses Development to create a new 192 unit complex called Salt River Flats, near Broadway Road and 14th Street in Phoenix. Construction is set to be completed by March 2024. Salt River Flats will cate to those who make 60 percent of the area median income, the county said.

"Remember what they say about how to eat an elephant: you do it one bite at a time. That's the mindset we need to have as we look at affordable housing in our region," said Vice Chairman Clint Hickman in the news release. "It's going to take awhile to get our inventory where it needs to be, but the addition of nearly 400 new rentals in the heart of Glendale is an example of how we can address our affordable housing shortage one investment and one partnership at a time."