Bill to spur ‘starter home’ construction, opposed by cities, heads to Hobbs’ desk

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A Republican measure dubbed the “Arizona Starter Home Act” has passed out of both chambers of the Arizona legislature and will now head to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk, where its fate remains unclear. 

The proposal would bar cities and towns from forcing a homeowner into an HOA interfering with the “right to choose the features, amenities, structure, floor plan and interior and exterior design of a home.” And any city larger than 70,000 people would be prohibited from regulating the size of lots for single-family homes.

Proponents of the measure say that it will help address the skyrocketing prices of homes in the state and also help address the state’s growing affordable housing crisis. But critics, including more than 30 municipalities and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, say the bill takes away fundamental rights of cities to control development.

Last year, Hobbs vetoed several bills that were opposed by cities, including some intended to address housing issues. 

“Hardworking Arizonans are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase their first home and begin their pursuit of the American dream,” Lake Havasu City Republican Rep. Leo Biasiucci, the bill’s sponsor, said in a written statement about the bill’s passage in the Senate. 

Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, who sponsored the same bill in the Senate, said that the legislation is “a step in the right direction in bringing prices down by eliminating some of the restrictive government red tape and expensive regulatory constraints being passed onto homeowners,” in a statement after the bill’s passage. 

That loosening on restrictions had given some Republicans pause about the bill, worrying that it would give developers carte blanche authority over building. 

The bill passed out of the Senate with a mixture of Republican and Democratic support, similar to how it passed in the House. 

“The Arizona Starter Homes Act is a no-brainer, and I’m encouraged it received bipartisan support,” Borrelli said. “I look forward to the Governor taking appropriate action on behalf of our citizens’ lives and livelihoods by signing this bill into law.”

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