Arizona Housing Bill Fails in State Senate

A bill that aimed to boost housing production by loosening zoning regulations did not pass out of the Arizona Senate, reports Kevin Reagan for 12News, giving in to pressure from local leaders. “Many cities publicly opposed SB 1117 because they believed the legislation would have taken away their ability to make important zoning decisions.”

In an opinion piece in The Independent, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Steve Kaiser, explained that the bill would only apply to cities of over 25,000 and would not “eliminate single-family zoning,” a commonly cited fear during zoning reform debates. Kaiser argues that the bill “would make it possible to accomplish the necessity laid out by the Arizona Department of Housing: We must build 270,000 new homes to repair the massive shortfall currently being experienced in our housing market.” According to Kaiser, it would bring down rent costs and put homeownership within reach for more Arizonans. The bill proposed eliminating off-street parking requirements, permitting small-lot homebuilding, and streamlining development by eliminating municipal design review panels, and legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Reagan writes that “Kaiser, a Republican representing District 2, said Monday he'll continue working on finding solutions to fix the housing crisis.”