Arizona Poised to Reject Starter Homes Act Over Zoning

Arizona Senate Bill 1229, the “Arizona Starter Homes Act” that would loosen zoning restrictions statewide to allow for more housing, appears poised to die in the state legislature.

The bill follows a similar bipartisan piece of legislation last year that passed both the state House and Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. As it stands, the bill is stalled in the House as the legislature heads into its final weeks of work, Arizona Central reported.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say negotiation is possible, but neither side is confident a solution can be reached. Hobbs herself said on May 29 that it’s unlikely a compromise bill will arise this year.

The issue at hand involves residential zoning, currently largely controlled by local ordinances that limit the ability to build smaller homes on smaller lots. The bill’s supporters are looking to implement a state law that would override local regulations and permit smaller housing projects in the hopes that prices will go down.

In addition to stopping cities from requiring minimum lot sizes that prevent denser home construction, the bill would also prevent cities from ordering homeowners to build certain design standards such as garages or screening walls, all of which make building more expensive.

“We should support people, not cities,” said Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick, a sponsor of the Arizona Starter Homes Act.

Opponents of the bill argue that it would completely deregulate single-family zoning as Arizonans know it. The bill would permit 3,000-square-foot lots for residences across the state; currently, most standalone single-family homes are on 6,000-square-foot lots.

It’s the latest instance of the Arizona legislature failing to reach an agreement to make housing more accessible for more residents.

Earlier this year, lawmakers put the kibosh on House Bill 2191, known as the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill, which would have allowed churches to build housing on extra church property. Another bill that proposed a five-year extension of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, set to expire at the end of this year, has gone nowhere.

With a median home sale price of $454,600 according to Redfin, Arizona remains one of the top 15 most expensive states in which to buy a house.

— Chris Malone Méndez