Hope Arises For More Affordable Housing in Tempe

Former councilman and now current Mayor Corey Woods has a goal to make Tempe housing more affordable. Woods announced in March during his campaign that this is in the front of his mind especially because he served on the affordable housing subcommittee from 2008-2016.

Over the past ten years, there has been an abundance of jobs added to the community. Along with the growing workforce, Arizona State University has been expanding. Between the two, housing is being impacted immensely.

According to a city-funded study, about 37 percent of Tempe households spend more than 30 percent of their incomes on rent or mortgage. The growing urban community is causing old housing to be renovated and new housing to be built less wide and higher. While some people may see this as a positive, the issue is that the new housing market is becoming very luxurious which is causing the pricing to increase.

According to a statement provided by the Mayor's assistant, Brianne Fisher, Woods is persistent with his plan on affordable housing. This was something that made him differ from his competitor during the new election. While former Mayor, Mark Mitchell was focusing on the improvement of neighborhoods, Woods said, “We need to keep the highly educated workforce living right here within the city of Tempe. Without a really good stock of high quality, affordable housing, you’re going to risk losing these young people to surrounding cities.”

Woods explained how this housing issue can also affect traffic in the metro Tempe area. He discussed his plan to implement more transportation options to the downtown Tempe area. This will include the usage of the new streetcar transit that has been undergoing construction for the past year. The streetcar transportation is smaller than a typical light-rail train and each car operates individually rather than linked together in trains. The streetcar can save an estimated 2-3 parking spaces which also leaves more room for development while contributing to the congested roads and parking areas. According to the Tempe Streetcar Project news release, this $200 million project has been planned using a mix of federal, regional and local funds, including $13 million coming from an unprecedented partnership between the city of Tempe, ASU, employers and major property owners in downtown Tempe and the Rio Salado area.

Woods’s passion and advocacy for affordable housing have come from his experience growing up with parents who worked jobs that didn’t always leave the family financially stable. As Woods stated in a tweet, “My parents spent a lifetime encouraging me to pursue my dreams and give back to the community. I'm working hard to make them proud -- and earn your vote to be the next mayor of Tempe.”