Revived 'Starter Homes Act' advances at the Arizona Capitol

A bipartisan bill to increase Arizona’s affordable housing supply narrowly passed out of the state Senate last week.

Proponents of the Starter Homes Act argue that heavy-handed local zoning is preventing developers from creating much-needed modest homes for first-time buyers. The bill would cut down on municipalities’ power to reject housing proposals for certain reasons, such as the aesthetic design of the house.

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One of the bill’s sponsors, Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) said it’s unfortunate that the bill is necessary, but the housing affordability crisis is out of hand.

“My own parents bought their starter home in their 20s. I was in my mid-20s when I bought my first home. Today, the average age is 38 years old for first-time homeowners. How old were you?” Bolick asked her colleagues.

The bill passed with the minimum amount of votes needed to get it out of the Senate.

It has both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition and is opposed by a group representing Arizona cities and towns.

A similar effort was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs last year. In her veto letter, she echoed the concerns of cities and towns that the bill is too experimental and potentially damaging to communities.

Sen. Mitzi Epstein (D-Tempe) said the bill is far too limiting on municipalities and gives too much leeway to developers.

“So, if you own property in a city, I fear this is just really overboard and very dangerous that could lead to some really rough litigation,” she said.

The bill would essentially allow developers to build smaller size homes on small lots.

Despite stakeholder meetings, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns hasn’t gotten on board with the bill.