PHOENIX — A new affordable housing unit is going up in Phoenix where those who qualify will be able to buy the homes.
Trellis, a non-profit that advocates for homeownership, is building 43 units in the Sunnyslope neighborhood with the plans to sell the properties after 15 years.
The townhomes will range from two, three, and four bedrooms for those who qualify for the lower- to moderate-income.
The units are said to be reserved for households with incomes below 60%, 50%, and 40% of the area's median income. They will range from 900 to 1,300 square feet.
Trellis tells ABC15 a one-person household would need to earn around $33,000 a year or less to qualify.
“These are people who work in our communities, they work hard, but they just don’t have enough money to pay the current market rents,” said Patricia Garcia Duarte, CEO of Trellis.
After more than a year of construction, Trellis held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday at the property off West Mission Lane.
Mike Trailor, President and CEO of Trellis said some of the units will be reserved for people who have experienced substance abuse disorder or those who have experienced domestic violence.
There are still available units for rent, “all you have to do is apply, give us some financial information and hopefully can qualify,” said Trailor.
Families could start moving in around mid-March.
New data from Apartment List shows that rent prices in Phoenix are up around 31% since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
Trailor describes the housing crisis as a lot of the working poor are being priced out of the housing market, “we estimate we need about 270,000 affordable homes just in Arizona just to catch up.”
Median rent prices in Phoenix range from $1,211 for a one-bedroom and $1,479 for a two-bedroom.
Trellis has helped build 310 homes with over 100 more units to come, but these affordable homes have their limitations as non-profits can’t do them alone.
“The biggest setback and challenges in providing affordable housing is that it takes everyone private sector, public, and private,” said Duarte.
Check here for more information.
