Senior housing may become workforce units

Downtown Phoenix has no “workforce housing” — housing that is affordable to people who make between $38,000 and $48,000 annually — according to the city.

There’s been a resurgence of housing development in the downtown core, but nearly all of it is luxury apartments that are not affordable to middle-income individuals and families.

The city is contemplating demolishing a small senior-housing apartment complex just south of Interstate 10 at Third and Moreland streets to make way for a high-rise, work-force apartment tower.

City officials said the project could expand downtown housing to all economic statuses, which is important to the diversity of downtown.

But the 60 seniors who currently reside at Deck Park Vista fear where this plan will leave them.

Workforce housing is not easy to build.

The cost of land in downtown Phoenix has skyrocketed, forcing developers to charge higher rents to turn a profit.

So the city is looking at land it already owns to try to make the financials of a workforce housing project viable.

Deck Park Vista is a two-story, garden-style apartment complex with 56 units built in 1992.

The 2.1 acres could accommodate more than 400 units, according to Phoenix Housing Director Cindy Stotler.

The land is “severely underdeveloped,” which makes it a prime target for the city’s plans, she said.

“We think we have an amazing opportunity here,” Stotler said.

The Phoenix City Council’s Planning and Economic Development Subcommittee asked city staff last Tuesday to craft a request for proposals to see whether developers are interested in teaming with the city to redevelop the property with a mix of workforce, affordable and senior housing.

“There aren’t many city-owned lots,” said Councilwoman Felicita Mendoza, who represents the area. “I believe that this is a perfect opportunity for us to (redevelop).”

The residents of Deck Park Vista say the city has told them for more than a year that it might level the property for a new project.

Most of them aren’t happy about it.

“What are the seniors supposed to do? Roll over and die?” Jose Villela said.

Villela, 68, lives at Deck Park Vista with his 92-yearold mother.

He said most of the people who live in the complex no longer drive and chose to live at Deck Park Vista because of the access to transportation and proximity to their doctors’ offices.

Phoenix staffers have provided the residents with a list of its other senior housing facilities across the city and said the city will pay to move the residents if the council decides to move forward with redevelopment.

Villela said none of them are as convenient as their downtown location.

During the subcommittee last Tuesday, Councilwoman Laura Pastor insisted that if the city moves forward with a new high-rise on the property, at least 56 of the units should be reserved for seniors.

“I really want to maintain the integrity of what the purpose of Deck Park (Vista) was mean to be,” Pastor said.

But even with that promise, the seniors are skeptical, and not all of them want to live in a building with children and young adults, Villela said.

Best-case scenario, they’ll still have to leave the area for a significant chunk of time when they build the new apartments, he said.

“I don’t think they really want us back,” he said.