flagstaff proposal may increase affordable income construction

Hundreds of affordable homes could see construction in Flagstaff if voters in November approve a proposed $25 million housing bond.

Members of the Flagstaff City Council have given their approval to putting on the ballot a proposed bond that would be drawn upon to fund both new affordable housing construction, as well as the rehabilitation and renovation of existing properties.

The proposal was strongly urged by Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans who had earlier said, “Affordable housing is everybody’s issue. It’s tied to economic development, the economic sustainability of our community and workforce.”

The decision to put the bond, which was originally pegged at $35 million, on this fall’s ballot comes in the wake of a survey conducted by Arizona Housing Coalition indicating that average rents in Flagstaff are becoming out of reach for many workers.

According to the survey, the average wage of renters in Flagstaff is around $12 an hour. But due to rents for one and two-bedroom apartments now in the range of $1,100, such wage earners would have to almost double their income to afford those units.

The electoral prospects for the bond question appear bright: a recent survey conducted by the City of Flagstaff showed that 66 percent of respondents were in favor of the ballot question.

By Garry Boulard