Director's Message - Summer 2021

As Arizona’s population grows, so does the state’s need for addressing homelessness, increasing the affordable housing inventory, and establishing a strong safety net for those experiencing homelessness. Our team at ADOH and our partners know firsthand the critical need for affordable housing in Arizona and the need to support individuals and families facing housing insecurity and we recognize the necessity housing provides in the physical and emotional wellbeing of every Arizonan.

Housing matters, but it’s no secret that we have work to do if we’re going to meet the growing housing needs in our state. We are committed to making real change in Arizona, that’s why we are maximizing every opportunity with our public and private sector partners and effectively leveraging public resources, making smart policy decisions and using every tool available to grow our affordable housing stock and, in turn, provide more Arizonans with housing security.

This collaborative approach also means helping our partners do what they do best: build new housing.

Our progress in addressing housing challenges is too often impacted by the red tape that inhibits us from breaking ground on the housing projects we desperately need in a reasonable time frame. That’s why Governor Ducey challenged ADOH to address these existing barriers head on and empower our partners with the tools and support they need and want to get to work. The result? A streamlined approach to more affordable housing options and increased housing security for all Arizonans.

Transparency, efficiency, and open communication will be key to our approach for working with our valuable community partners, because we can’t do this without them. And our talented and passionate team at ADOH is ready to support our partners throughout the process. Together we can get shovels in the ground and new units in the pipeline faster so that more Arizonans have access to stable and affordable housing.

We are committed to continuously looking at the way we do business and maintaining our relationship with our community partners so that we can do more. Building the housing inventory we so desperately need is going to require strong collaboration between federal, state, and local government and our nonprofit and developer partners. As we work together, focused on our shared goal of ensuring every Arizonan has access to housing, we can and will achieve the impactful solutions to help end homelessness.

It’s time for all of us to come together to address the existing challenges and position Arizona as the new model for combatting homelessness in our communities and being able to deliver affordable housing solutions for all. Let’s get to work!

Tom Simplot
Director

Housing Matters | Summer 2021