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Last Wednesday, over 75 policymakers, business leaders, and civic advocates gathered at Up for Growth’s Regional Pro-Housing Policy Forum in Phoenix, Arizona, to address a housing shortage impacting more than half the state’s renters and threatening Arizona’s economic vitality.
The urgency was highlighted by striking new data: over a quarter of Arizona residents are considering leaving the state due to skyrocketing housing costs. Phoenix’s median home price surged dramatically—from roughly $300,000 in 2020 to over $480,000 today (a 60% increase)—while median household incomes have risen just 22% during the same period. This widening gap jeopardizes economic stability, locking two entire generations out of homeownership opportunities that were accessible to their parents.
Marc J. Dunkelman, a fellow at the Watson Institute at Brown University and author of Why Nothing Works, framed the fundamental tension in housing policy: centralized expertise versus local veto power. “We’ve moved from a model where experts made all the decisions to one where everyone has a veto, often leaving us unable to build anything at all,” Dunkelman observed. Resolving this tension, he stressed, is essential to overcoming today’s housing shortages and affordability hurdles.
Economist and Up for Growth Non-Resident Fellow Mike Wilkerson, Ph.D., emphasized that addressing today’s shortage alone isn’t enough. Sustained housing production and market stability are essential to creating affordability across income levels—essentially restoring all the missing rungs on the housing ladder.
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) called for urgent, sweeping federal housing legislation, advocating strengthened rental assistance and incentives for local zoning reform. Developer Brian Swanton, CEO of Gorman & Co., highlighted practical financial barriers, stating bluntly, “100% of my projects have a math problem.”
Local leaders shared effective solutions in a panel moderated by Benjamin Preis, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at the Nowak Metro Finance Lab and Director of the National Housing Crisis Task Force. Tempe Mayor Corey Woods outlined his city’s successful Hometown for All initiative, which has generated substantial affordable housing investment, while former Mesa Mayor John Giles emphasized the importance of local collaboration, asserting, “Cities are not the enemy on this issue.”
The forum underscored that solving Arizona’s housing crisis requires both immediate action to close gaps in availability and strategic policies ensuring long-term affordability and stability. Dunkelman’s insights resonated throughout, reinforcing that a sustainable housing solution requires a balanced approach—expert-driven solutions combined with policy-level community engagement that thoughtfully incorporates community needs and preferences.
Participants committed to forming an ongoing regional cohort integrated into Up for Growth’s growing national network, determined to amplify their collective advocacy. They left inspired, connected, and ready to push policymakers toward bold, effective solutions that will make housing accessible and affordable for all.