Pima County is helping bring nearly 200 new affordable housing units closer to reality after three local developments secured Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations with the help of county funding.
County officials announced Monday that the Arizona Department of Housing awarded each of the three projects $2.5 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits after the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved $500,000 in gap funding for each development. The county said the local investment helped developers strengthen their applications and secure additional financing.
The three projects are expected to create a combined 183 housing units, including:
- Stone & Speedway Phase 1, a mixed-income development with 56 units, 44 of which will be affordable. Additional housing is planned in a future phase.
- El Rincón, which will add 67 affordable housing units across two infill sites, including one at 560 W. Davis St. in Barrio Anita and another near North Main Avenue and West St. Mary's Road.
- Drexel Commons, a development at Drexel Road and Bonney Avenue that will provide 72 affordable rental units.
"Affordable housing projects often face financing gaps that can prevent them from moving forward, even when there is a clear community need," Sofia Blue, affordable housing division manager for Pima County's Community & Workforce Development Department, said in a news release. "Pima County's gap funding helps bridge that final hurdle. It's one way the County is putting its commitment to expanding affordable housing into action."
The Board of Supervisors also supported Drexel Commons by selling the vacant land for $200, as allowed under Arizona law. According to the county, the project will be the first affordable housing development built within a designated Pima County Community Revitalization Area.
Development Services Director Lauren Ortega said the project reflects the county's long-term housing strategy by encouraging redevelopment in established neighborhoods while expanding affordable housing options. "Drexel Commons is exactly the type of development envisioned by Pima Prospers and the County's long-term housing strategy," said Ortega.
The projects are part of Pima County's recently adopted 10-year Regional Housing Strategy and Funding Plan, which aims to increase the supply of affordable housing, diversify housing options through zoning changes and improve housing stability through programs such as rental assistance, eviction legal services and home repair initiatives.
County officials said that since 2022, the Board of Supervisors has approved nearly $21 million in gap funding for 28 affordable housing projects. Those investments are expected to preserve or create 1,857 affordable housing units throughout Pima County.
The Board has also committed $250 million over the next decade to affordable housing and homelessness prevention through its One Pima Initiative and broader regional Prosperity Initiative, according to the county.
