A 4-and-a-half acre property in south Phoenix will soon be the site of 25 single-family homes for lower-income families. Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona is building the new Alta Vista Ranch neighborhood.
At a kick-off event at the construction site Wednesday, Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona CEO Jason Barlow said the homes will be sold to income-qualifying families who will make their down payment in the form of volunteer hours.
“We also charge no interest, but they pay back a mortgage to us, which does not exceed 30% of their gross monthly income, and we call that giving Arizona a hand up,” Barlow said.
Arizona’s shortage of affordable housing is among the most severe in the country and population growth continues to outpace construction, according to the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability.
But the state, county and municipalities have made major investments in recent years to try to address the problem.
Some construction costs for the new Habitat for Humanity Alta Vista Ranch project were covered by investments from the state Housing Trust Fund and from American Rescue Plan Act funds distributed by Maricopa County. That federal pandemic relief money has allowed the county to direct more than half a billion dollars to housing and homelessness initiatives in the last few years.
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