Photos courtesy of city of Tempe

Tempe’s innovative Hometown for All initiative celebrates its second anniversary, as it continues to spearhead the city’s affordable housing strategy and develop a variety of projects that enhance the community’s living spaces. The program has successfully introduced new housing, retail, and community spaces, while generating crucial conversations surrounding housing affordability.

Mayor Corey Woods praised the progress made by the initiative, saying, “Our Hometown for All initiative began with a bold vision to give anyone the opportunity to call Tempe home. That meant innovating around funding and accelerating the pace of building. It meant taking a risk to try something new. I am so proud of our progress.”

Established in 2021, Hometown for All aims to provide diverse housing options in Tempe. The initiative utilizes a dedicated funding source by allocating 50% of specific permitting fees paid to the city’s General Fund to support the nonprofit Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing. These funds are used to acquire properties, land, and repurpose city-owned parcels. Furthermore, the initiative has prompted developers to contribute donations to the city’s efforts.

Tempe is releasing a series of videos highlighting the city’s innovative efforts to expand affordable housing. The first video features Hometown for All and its achievements over the past two years.
Key milestones of Hometown for All’s journey include:
• $1.8 million invested in site preparation work on city-owned lots for future development
• Approximately $2.5 million invested in property improvements and land acquisitions
• $3.3 million in donations received from developers
• Over $17.5 million pledged by developers for upcoming projects
• $1.7 million used to acquire Watson’s Flowers on Apache Boulevard, which will be sold to the nonprofit Tempe Community Action Agency. Plans for the site and an adjacent lot encompass offices, a food pantry, and transitional housing for the unsheltered population.

The Hometown for All initiative continues to lead the way in affordable housing, demonstrating the power of innovation and collaboration in fostering inclusive communities. For more information, visit tempe.gov/housinginnovations.