Arizona’s ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’ Caused by Housing Policies
Arizona Republic
In this op-ed, the message is clear: Arizona must stand together to fix the state’s housing affordability issue. When one municipality clamps down on new housing to limit crowding or ensure that only wealthy newcomers can move in, nearby municipalities must accept a little more of the change, growth, and growing pains. One municipality gains at everyone else’s expense. When municipalities work in silos, affordability suffers everywhere. Despite state legislators finally reaching a bipartisan majority for housing reform, HB2570, which would have limited municipalities from requiring exceedingly large lot sizes or homes, excessive street-setback distances, onerous design review processes, and homeowners’ associations for new developments, was vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs. However, there is still hope as other bills aimed at easing housing restrictions are making headway in both chambers.
