Ross: Why no housing for low-income workers and families?

The PV Town Council missed an opportunity to build 25 apartments at the location of the Ascension Lutheran Church when they instead zoned it for only four large houses.

Paradise Valley welcomes individuals to work in low-wage jobs at our resorts, but we refuse to help them find a home in our town. As far as I know, the Town Council has never approved any apartments with restricted low rents for poor families or poor seniors. Also, the Town Council has never approved any money to donate to non-profit developers like Catholic Charities, who build these affordable apartment homes.

If the Town Council would help the low-wage service workers live here, then they would have shorter commutes and could spend more time raising their children and helping them with homework and cooking healthy meals at night, instead of driving 30-40 minutes each way to their homes in far-north Phoenix, south Phoenix or the west side of Phoenix.

Their children could also attend our excellent schools and increase their chances at attending a great college and building a professional career.
Also, the Town Council did not require the large rich project at PV Mall to have any affordable housing units, which it could have easily done. The rich developer has plenty of money to subsidize 10% of the apartments for the resort workers.

Many cities require this "inclusionary housing" as part of their entitlement approvals, and many cities contribute grant funding for affordable apartments to be built.

I attend church at the Casa Franciscana, and I would be ashamed to tell the priest there that I have done nothing to help our poor friends find a home here and welcome them to live in our town.

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