The dream of homeownership has turned into a nightmare for too many Americans, including many Arizonans. 

Working parents save money to qualify for a loan, only to learn it’s not enough. Prospective first-time homeowners consider special programs but often find the deals don’t apply to them. Middle-class buyers are outbid by out-of-state speculators with deep pockets.

Arizona has an urgent need for safe, sustainable, affordable housing — a crisis that elected officials across our 91 communities are addressing with the new and innovative tools available to them. We’re working to accelerate zoning approvals for new construction and remove obstacles to home ownership. For example, since 2020 more than 316,000 housing permits have been issued in Arizona and 249,000 of those units have been built.

But more must be done. That’s where new, bipartisan bills in the state Legislature, championed by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, come in. Senate Bill 1698, and its counterpart, House Bill 2834, would prioritize homeownership for Arizona residents — rather than Wall Street investors — increase the supply of affordable housing, and give Arizonans better options for owning a home.

Known as “Affordable Starter Homes,” and introduced by Sen. Vince Leach, R-Saddlebrooke, and Rep. Janeen Connolly, D-Tempe, the measures would: 

• Ensure that starter homes are sold to Arizona residents — not investors and speculators. 
• Specifically support middle-income earners, first-time homebuyers, and working families making no more than 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
• Maintain local authority over infrastructure, design, amenities and water services while mandating starter home inclusion. This balances local decision-making and provides developers with certainty. 
• Set balanced lot-size guidelines of 4,000 square feet, allowing up to nine units per acre

Let’s compare our measure to a competing bill at the Legislature that falls short. The competing legislation offers zero guarantees of affordability, nor would it ensure that Arizonans would have first opportunity on new homes. 

Affordability and local ownership are essential to improving the housing challenges we face as a state, but sadly those provisions are missing, making their bill a “Starter Home Act” in name only. 

Their bill encourages overcrowding by allowing 1,500-square-foot lots and 24 units per acre, and forces apartment-style density onto single-family communities. Further, it eliminates design standards and common amenities like open space and sidewalks.

We believe Arizonans favor growing smarter, not unplanned growth without guardrails.

Many factors in the complex issue of housing affordability are beyond our control: mortgage rates, labor costs, workforce availability, market trends, supply chain, down-payment requirements and population growth. 

But there is much we can do. 

Let’s build on the work from the 2024 legislative session, in which we supported three bills that passed with bipartisan support: “middle housing” to encourage a diversity of homes, such as duplexes and townhomes; “adaptive reuse” which allows certain commercial properties to be adapted for use as residential housing; and “expediting rezoning,” which requires rezoning requests be completed in 180 days. 

Let’s keep the momentum going. We’re better together. And we stand ready to work with lawmakers, developers, investors and other stakeholders to build a future where the American dream is reality for every Arizonan. 

Kevin Hartke is mayor of Chandler and president of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.