Arizona Housing funds offers funds for 125 units to aid those in need
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Arizona Housing Fund is announcing two new grants to Tucson nonprofits.
La Frontera has received a $150,000 grant, and Primavera Foundation has received a $200,000 grant. The two grants will help fund housing for 125 Tucson residents experiencing homelessness, according to a press release.
“These projects, being spearheaded by two of Tucson’s leading housing and economic development nonprofits, will have an immediate impact on Tucson’s most vulnerable – seniors, those with disabilities, and other individuals experiencing homelessness.” says AZHF Founder Howard Epstein.
The La Frontera project, a Tucson-based health and housing nonprofit providing services to nearly 9,500 individuals, broke ground this June at West Point II Apartments near East Broadway and South Stone Avenue.
The $28 million project, funded by both private and public entities, will use the $150,000 Arizona Housing Fund grant to cover unforeseen development costs for the project, which is focused on serving seniors and those with disabilities. When complete, West Point II will offer 84 one-bedroom, one-bath, 585-square-foot units (plus one manager’s unit) to Tucson residents experiencing homelessness. The apartments are scheduled to open in spring or summer of 2025.
“With the escalating costs in the housing market, these much-needed affordable housing units can only be made available to those who need them the most, thanks to the support of community partners like the Arizona Housing Fund,” said Dan Ranieri, president & CEO at La Frontera, in a prepared statement. “This grant will be promptly used toward the direct construction costs at West Point Apartments II.”
Primavera Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating pathways out of poverty, is scheduled to begin renovations on the Paradise Motel in south Tucson in July. The $2.3 million purchase of the 41-unit hotel was funded by a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Family Fund. The remainder of the grant will be used over the next four years for programming and services at the motel.
The $200,000 Arizona Housing Fund grant will fund half of the phase one renovations that will assist with getting people into the motel. The historic motel already has kitchenettes in each unit, making the property ideal for conversion to affordable housing.
“We are honored by this gift. It will allow us to immediately begin our phase I renovations, allowing us to get individuals and families into short-term stays quicker,” said Primavera CEO Tisha Tallman. “With an estimated deficit of 29,000 units in Tucson for extremely low and low-income individuals, this will make a significant contribution in this part of the state towards meeting needs. We are so very thankful for this opportunity through the largesse of the Arizona Housing Fund grant.”
