Homeownership used to be affordable and attainable for young, middle-class families looking to plant or grow their roots in Arizona. That is no longer the reality. Today, the median price for a home in Glendale is $450,000 and the average age of a first-time homebuyer is 38.
Decades ago, the American dream of homeownership was achieved when families were able to purchase small homes on small lots. These “starter homes” created the foundation on which an entire generation could build their wealth.
In the city of Glendale today, most lots are between 6,000 to 10,000 square feet due to zoning restrictions. These restrictions, which mandate large homes on large lots with costly features, have eliminated the starter home and shut out many working families from homeownership altogether.
That’s why I co-sponsored SB 1229, the Arizona Starter Homes Act, which would make these homes legal again. The bill passed through the State Senate with support from Republicans and Democrats.
Glendale residents know these changes are needed. In a November 2024 resident survey, Glendale citizens named housing and homelessness as the top two most important priorities. 76% of respondents said creating affordable, permanent housing for people to own was important to them, while an overwhelming 78% said they want more single-family homes.
When asked how the city could better address housing challenges, multiple residents identified zoning changes as essential to driving down the cost of homeownership. One resident stated, “There are so many empty fields, vacant malls and other dead spots that could be repurposed for housing.” Another resident said they’d like to see “creation of more reasonably priced homes for first-time buyers” and”“more affordable homeownership, condos and townhomes.”
One resident in the survey specifically suggested the state should step in to deal with the housing shortage. That’s what we are doing with the Starter Homes Act. Legislators engaged in a robust stakeholder process and made several negotiations on the bill to incorporate feedback from the city of Glendale and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. The bill will:
• Require cities to allow homes to be developed on lots of 3,000 square feet or more. This will only apply to new developments on areas of land that are 5 acres or more. In Glendale, that’s less than 20 areas that could potentially be impacted.
• Ensure that homebuyers are not forced to pay for features they don’t want or can’t afford, like garages or specific fencing around their home
• Prevent regulations that make expensive HOAs effectively mandatory
The bill does not apply to historic neighborhoods and does not supersede the building code, public safety codes, nor health and safety regulations
By allowing more homes of different shapes and sizes to be built, we can ensure Glendale’s workforce will have more choices of places to live that fit their budget and the needs of their families.
The Starter Homes Act now heads to the state House of Representatives with bipartisan momentum behind it. Let’s get it to the governor’s desk and get it signed into law.
Editor’s note: State Sen. Analise Ortiz represents Legislative District 24 in the Arizona Legislature. She can be reached by email at analise.ortiz@azleg.gov. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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