Homes Are About To Get Smaller In Arizona

Almost every American's dream is to own a big house on a lot of land, a mansion to call all your own. However, in today's housing market, that seems less and less likely for most Americans.

Home prices have exploded in the past few years, and even a quaint starter home is going to cost more than young American adults can afford.

What is the 'Casita Bill'?

Recently passed by the House, House Bill 2720 is Arizona's answer to the housing crisis the state faces in metropolitan areas. A study conduced in 2022 showed that Arizona is short almost 300,000 homes for their residents, and this bill will (hopefully) be the one to start fixing that problem.

In short, this bill allows Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUS to be built on existing property. These are colloquially known as 'casitas' and are primarily used for multi-family residences, a practice that's lost popularity over time.

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Why is This Good for Arizonans?

There is relatively no downside to this bill, a breath of fresh air in today's political landscape. it's being heavily supported by both parties, and both seem convinced that this will begin to help. This will allow more families to own their own homes in a time when that's getting harder and harder.

Skeptics are afraid that this will lead to more Airbnbs (and other services) popping up across the state, effectively killing the housing market again. Luckily, lawmakers saw this issue a mile away and have placed an amendment on the bill that requires renters to permanently live on the property they are renting out.

This is an excellent step in the right direction, and it'll be exciting to this program finally implemented.

[ABC15]

[Daily Independent]

[AZleg.gov]