Flagstaff City Council approves 10-year affordable housing plan
The Flagstaff City Council declared a housing emergency more than a year ago. The council voted Tuesday night unanimously to adopt a plan to address it.
Councilmember Adam Shimoni warned rising prices could make the city unaffordable to local residents, comparing it to Aspen.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to buy a house in Flagstaff. And that’s just the reality. It’s definitely a difficult time we’re at in the community, and we’ve reached a fork in the road,” he said.
Home prices here have risen nearly 120% since 2011 and are now more than 100,000 above the national median. More than half of respondents in one city survey warned home prices are forcing them to consider leaving while a large percentage of Flagstaff employees can’t afford to live here.
The main goal is to address the affordable housing gap and create nearly 8,000 housing units by 2031 with the goal of 10% being affordable.
