East Arizona News

The Scottsdale City Council took a substantial step toward strengthening the city's ability to serve its most vulnerable residents when it approved two separate projects at the Paiute Neighborhood Center campus. With distinct and separate funding sources, efforts are being focused simultaneously toward improving aging facilities at Paiute while also addressing the growing need for affordable housing in Scottsdale.

Some residents expressed concern about using voter-approved bonds for an affordable housing project which was not part of the 2019 bond package - this is not happening. Bonds will only be used for their stated purpose: improving the Paiute Neighborhood Center. 

Separately, a combination of federal housing money administered by Maricopa County and Scottsdale General Fund dollars will be used to build up to 28 affordable housing units at Paiute - no bond financing is part of this project. Details on both projects are provided below.

Improving the Paiute Neighborhood Center

Scottsdale’s Paiute Neighborhood Center opened in 1995 at a former elementary school site, filling a need for community programs and social services. Paiute is home to the city's Human Services Department, a team of social workers and other professionals who provide crisis case management and other services, including First Things First programming for children under age 5, and administering Scottsdale Housing Agency programs. Space at Paiute is also provided for partner non-profit agencies, including Maricopa County's Headstart/Early Headstart child development programs, the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center Community School, and the Hirsch Academy Title 1 Charter School.

In the 2019 bond election, voters approved Project 25: Replace Aging Buildings that Comprise Paiute Community Center, a renovation project estimated then at $11.2 million. Inflation since then has pushed construction costs higher. On Sept. 19, the City Council added $5.3 million from the General Plan Initiatives designation in the General Fund Operating Fund to fill the gap. The result will be a modern facility that can continue to fill Paiute's mission of serving the community, with much lower annual operating and maintenance costs.

A separate project will create affordable housing units for Scottsdale residents in need

Recognizing the growing need for affordable housing units in the Scottsdale community, the city’s Human Services Department will leverage a combination of funding sources to build up to 28 affordable housing units at the Paiute Neighborhood Center.

The Residence at Paiute would comprise a combination of studio and two-bedroom units provided at low or no-cost to seniors and persons with disabilities, with several units dedicated to case-managed, temporary bridge housing for parents with children who are working toward securing independent stable housing in Scottsdale.

Construction cost is estimated at $15.7 million, funded with $7.8 million in federal money administered by Maricopa County and $7.9 million from General Plan Initiatives designation in the General Fund. 

Scottsdale voters were not asked to approve bond financing for affordable housing, and no bond financing will be used for The Residence at Paiute project.

Learn more about the Paiute improvement projects here.

Original source can be found here.