PIMA COUNTY (April 4, 2025) – The Pima County Board of Supervisors passed two items at its April 1 meeting to expand the affordable housing supply and increase housing options.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve a $1 million loan to Marana Leased Housing Associates LLLP to develop a new rental property, The Safford, at 8740 N. Silverbell Road. This project is designed as a 30-year affordable housing project.
The Board previously approved the funding, which allowed the County to enter into contract negotiations with the vendor. The loan is for 30 years at 2%, with $1.6 million returning to the County.
Since dedicating funds to affordable housing on July 1, 2022, the Board has invested $15,984,361 in gap funding for 19 projects recommended by the Pima County Regional Affordable Housing Commission. The funding has supported 1,332 affordable housing units to be developed or preserved in Pima County.
Construction is underway on The Safford, which will provide 200 new rental units. The units will serve families and the general workforce with incomes at or below 60% of the Area Median Income under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.
The county's funding plays a crucial role in bridging financial shortfalls, ensuring developers can launch or complete affordable housing projects in full. The gap funding leverages nearly $88 million in private investment in housing affordability.
“The work of the Regional Affordable Housing Commission and the actions by the Board are making a real impact locally on our community’s need for more affordable housing,” said Sofia Blue, the affordable housing division manager for the Pima County Community & Workforce Development Department, which oversees the commission. “But the County’s efforts don’t stop there.”
In a separate action, the Board voted 4-0 to approve a zoning code text amendment that revises the number of residential units from three to four on an individual lot before requiring a development plan to be submitted to Pima County Development Services. This allows a triplex to be developed on a lot zoned for a single-family home.
“The goal is simple: It’s to allow more choice for different housing types,” Development Services Deputy Director Chris Poirier said at the Board meeting. “It’s extra rights for a property owner.”
The actions align with the housing pillars of the Board-approved Prosperity Initiative, a regional partnership to reduce generational poverty.