PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday vetoed a housing reform bill that would have prevented local governments from regulating certain home design aspects and lot sizes.
House Bill 2570, aka the Arizona Starter Homes Act, was presented as an attempt to increase affordable housing options.
“Unfortunately, this expansive bill is a step too far and I know we can strike a better balance,” Hobbs, a Democrat, said in her veto letter. “This is unprecedented legislation that would put Arizonans at the center of a housing reform experiment with unclear outcomes.
Those against the bill said they didn’t think the measure would lead to affordable housing.
“Just turning neighborhoods upside down just as a result of this and there’s no proof that it will result in more affordable housing,” Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix president Neal Haddad said.
The Arizona League of Cities and Towns came out against the bill, saying a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for different communities.
President and Yuma Mayor, Douglas Nicholls, said the bill would have overwhelmed current infrastructure and decades of local zoning planning.
“This upends all that because now the roads and the waterlines and the sewer lines you’re expecting to extend for one type of density also is increased by six times,” Nicholls said.
Goodyear mayor Joe Pizzillo said he wants to work with lawmakers on other affordable housing solutions.
“We’ve got to figure out how to work together to come out with a solution which does still have the local control, which is critical, but still improves the quality of life of all of our residents,” Pizzillo said.
