When it comes to constructing rental housing for these new residents, the law of supply and demand very much applies in our state. When developers cannot construct new rental units quickly enough to meet the needs of these new Arizonans – and estimates show that Arizona needs to add about 240,000 new rental units this decade – the marketplace dictates that rents rise. The greater the rise in rents, the more challenging it is for many residents to find housing in their price range.

State lawmakers took the first steps Monday to strip cities of their ability to tax rents on homes and apartments.