Tempe Mayor Corey Woods has been named Advocate of the Year by the Arizona Housing Coalition for his commitment to making systems-level changes to accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing in Tempe. 

Woods has championed the issue throughout his time as an elected official with the city of Tempe and as a board member with local nonprofit organizations focused on housing and human services. 

“I am humbled by this recognition and grateful for the work of the Arizona Housing Coalition and all the awardees in addressing affordable housing issues in our region and state,” Woods said. “This is a critical and complex issue, and the stakes are so high for individuals and families in our communities. It takes all of us working together, not just a single municipality or nonprofit or business, to advocate for those most in need and tackle these challenges.”

Woods was elected mayor in March 2020 and previously served as a Tempe council member from July 2008 to July 2016. He has been a vocal advocate for increasing housing affordability throughout his time in office.

While on the council, Woods was instrumental in the development of many affordable housing projects such as Valor on Eighth, Gracie’s Village, Apache ASL Trails and Encore on Farmer.

After leaving the council in 2016, Woods continued to focus on expanding affordable housing by serving on the Newtown Community Development Corporation board.

As mayor, Woods was the driving force behind the city’s Hometown for All affordable housing initiative, which was adopted by the full council in 2021. The initiative creates a dedicated funding stream to accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing and also provides updated guidance for voluntary contributions by developers and other entities. 

Hometown for All has resulted in approximately $6 million that is helping the city expand housing opportunities by purchasing land for future development, buying homes and condos to keep them permanently affordable, working with partners to reimagine city-owned properties and other efforts.

Additionally, Woods and the council have been investing through other funding sources to expand housing options. This includes purchasing a 40-room motel for temporary transitional housing, with plans to eventually transform the property into multi-family housing. In addition, the city has purchased the Apache Central Center, site of the former Food City on Apache Boulevard, with plans to create a living and shopping hub.

Woods and other awardees will be honored April 13 during the Coalition’s 27th annual conference, “The Power of We,” in Mesa. Community leaders and organizations will be recognized for their work in the areas of advocacy, direct service and leadership.