Creative Ideas Fuel the Affordable Scottsdale Housing Movement

Rising Scottsdale housing values can be very positive, as they can reduce the cost of borrowing money and bring additional revenue to the community, but once prices get too high, the consequences can be very negative. Important community workers, such as teachers, firefighters and police officers, priced out of Scottsdale housing will be forced to leave the community they work in and worsen already unmanageable regional traffic.

For these reasons, community volunteer groups, such as All Citizens Together Serving (ACTS), are working with City Council members to find solutions to keeping Scottsdale housing affordable.

The City Council is decidedly anti subsidies and artificially depressing Scottsdale housing prices, so community groups have been developing more creative solutions. ACTS is devoting its efforts "to rehabilitating older homes in south Scottsdale," and its parent group, Community Services of Arizona, has purchased 80 Scottsdale units and is "renting them at below-market prices."

Many groups encourage the conversion of old apartment complexes to affordable condos, while others believe builders should be given "incentives to include cheaper units in their developments, such as waiving impact fees or expediting the permit process."

Former state director of housing Steve Capobres is even joining the affordable Scottsdale housing movement. He claims that the key to creating more affordable homes is "building smaller units closer together."