A new legislative committee is planning to tackle the affordable housing crisis, saying zoning laws and community pushback are major barriers to building residences that meet local needs. 

The Housing Supply and Study Committee, which has representatives from the House and Senate and both parties, met for the first time earlier this week with the goal of addressing all housing problems in Arizona and examining solutions. All members across party lines appeared to agree that Arizona has a supply problem with too many residents and not enough housing for them. 

Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, created the committee in a bill this session and is now chairing the meetings. Other members include legislators, the director of the Arizona Department of Housing, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and Glendale Director of Community Services Jean Moreno. The committee will meet twice a month and present its findings to the Governor’s Office by December 31. Then, Kaiser said he intends to be the sponsor of some new housing legislation. 

Efforts to create more affordable housing are often stymied by residents who don’t want “those people” near them, Woods said. The sentiment was echoed by Arizona Multihousing Association Government Affairs consultant Jake Hinman, who called “NIMBYism” and zoning the two greatest housing problems in the state.  

Kaiser announced that the committee is going on a “road show” around the state in September to listen to city mayors and residents give comments on housing. The committee will also listen to the expertise of an out-of-state auditor, who will compare Arizona with other states and their approaches to housing. 

The Arizona Department of Housing estimated last year that the state needs 270,000 new residences to keep up with demand. Hinman said that’s still true and there are still 300 people moving to the Valley every day. Hinman also has the goal of correcting misconceptions around perceived problems with affordable housing, including traffic congestion, increased crime rates and property value losses. These are common complaints neighborhood residents make against proposed developments. 

“Something has to be done and it should have been done in this last legislative session,” said Rep. César Chávez, D-Phoenix. He mentioned that he wants to accelerate the permitting process for developers who want to build affordable housing. 

The Associated Press reported on July 12 that Maricopa County eviction levels are back to high pre-pandemic levels. Eviction moratoriums are over, and the cost of living continues to increase in the Valley.  

There was a boost to homelessness mitigation services in the budget that includes an extra $60 million in the Housing Trust Fund. The effort was supported by Chávez and Kaiser and pushed by Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix, and Sen. David Livingston, R-Peoria. 

Livingston also backed a bill that removes the requirement for affordable rental housing to be limited to 200 units or less to qualify for a property tax exemption.