Phoenix vs Goldwater on Affordable Housing | Mesa News

Mesa News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 8, 2026 · 1m

Phoenix is fighting back against a high-stakes lawsuit from the Goldwater Institute that could cripple cities’ ability to build affordable housing. The case centers on a city-owned land deal with Pennrose, an affordable housing developer, where Phoenix required a portion of the 64-unit project to be income-restricted — a move the city says is legal because it’s essentially placing a deed restriction on its own property. While Arizona law generally bans mandatory inclusionary zoning, cities can still incentivize affordable units. Phoenix argues this is a lawful use of its property rights, but…