(The Center Square) – The city of Phoenix has broken ground on an affordable housing community for seniors, estimated to cost $30 million.
Helen Drake Village, scheduled for completion in 2027, will house 80 rental units, including 74 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, called the village a “significant step forward” in the city’s “commitment to provide Phoenix seniors access to affordable, high-quality housing with essential services.”
“By combining vibrant homes with direct access to programs and activities, we’re building a community where residents can enjoy a stable, connected community,” she said.
Samantha Keating, the city’s deputy housing director, told The Center Square that the city is providing $5 million in loans and 40 project-based vouchers to help finance the project.
She added that other funding sources are coming from the Arizona Department of Housing, income housing tax credits and private traditional funding.
To reside in the new housing complex, people must be 55 or older and have an income between 30% and 60% of the area’s median income.
Keating said the city completed a housing needs assessment report in 2024, which showed the greatest need for housing is for Phoenix households at or below 50% of the area’s median income.
Phoenix’s median income is $109,600 as of April 2025, according to the Housing Authority of Maricopa County.
Since the start of the decade, Phoenix has emphasized building more housing.
Keating said the city of Phoenix passed a plan in 2020 with the goal of creating or preserving 50,000 housing units by 2030. She added that the city reached its goal in 2025.
She said nearly 65,000 housing units had been developed by the end of 2025.
Part of the 2020 housing plan aimed to redevelop city-owned property into affordable, mixed-income housing, according to Keating.
The city of Phoenix designated the plot on which Helen Drake Village is being built for affordable housing development.
“Helen Drake Village represents the kind of strategic investment that strengthens Phoenix’s entire housing system,” said Titus Mathew, the city’s housing director.
“By transforming city‑owned land into long‑term affordable housing, we are demonstrating how public resources can be used responsibly and creatively to expand options for seniors across Phoenix,” he added.
The Helen Drake Village will be located adjacent to one of the city’s senior centers, Keating noted.
She said the city is “excited about the synergy of putting senior affordable housing next to a really active senior center.”
The village will include sports courts, garden plots and a walking path that goes through the senior center and the senior housing community, Keating said.
Phoenix has about 140 parcels of land that qualify for redevelopment into housing units, she said.
According to Keating, the city of Phoenix is working with developers to build more multi-family affordable housing.
