PIMA COUNTY, (March 7, 2025) – The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on March 4 to approve a Development and Purchase Agreement with Spire Development to provide a low-income affordable rental unit complex on Tucson’s southside.
Spire was previously selected as the winning proposer for the development of an 80-unit project at the southeast corner of East Drexel Road and South Bonney Avenue. The new development, Drexel Commons, will remain an affordable housing project for 30 years.
The County sold 2.08 acres of vacant land to Spire for the nominal amount of $200 as permitted by ARS 11-251.10.
The approval of the agreement supports the goals of the Prosperity Initiative, a wide-ranging set of policies adopted by the County in 2023 to reduce generational poverty in the community. Increasing housing opportunity and stability are key pillars of the Prosperity Initiative, part of the Community & Workforce Development Department (CWD).
“CWD has created a strong collaboration with other County departments like Development Services and Real Property Services to come up with innovative ideas to increase the supply of affordable housing in our region,” said Sofia Blue, CWD’s affordable housing division manager. “As we move forward, we will continue to work with our Regional Affordable Housing Commission and look to collaborate with other departments.”
Pima County has taken other steps to increase the volume of affordable housing, including authorizing the Pima County Regional Affordable Housing Commission in October 2022. The Regional Affordable Housing Commission has recommended to the Board of Supervisors for approved investments of nearly $11 million in gap funding for 12 projects, providing 1,059 affordable housing units to be preserved or developed within Pima County.
In December, the Housing Commission endorsed another $5 million in gap funding, supporting seven projects to preserve or develop 273 affordable housing units.
In January, the Board unanimously voted to accept three federally funded grants from the Arizona Department of Housing to provide additional funding for home energy efficiency measures and health and safety installation and repairs to qualified households. Through Pima County’s Home Repair Program, this assistance is another way to preserve local housing inventory and keep families in their homes.