MOHAVE COUNTY – FCS Group will be presenting the Mohave County Housing Needs Assessment Study to the Mohave County Board of Supervisors for acceptance on September 18th. Here is a summary and the key findings of that report.
Executive Summary:
All citizens deserve to have a decent home. The Mohave County Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) examines current housing conditions, forecasts long-term housing needs, and identifies potential policies that support a fair and equitable housing environment. The overall goal of the Housing Needs Assessment is to help focus community efforts on the most critical local housing issues.
Specifically, the report focuses on four key objectives:
1. Identify housing needs to address expected growth over the next two decades, including needs for affordable housing in Mohave County and northern La Paz County.
2. Obtain input from local residents, housing developers, builders and local officials regarding major housing issues and ideas for fostering housing development.
3. Provide an interactive mapping tool for identifying potential future housing development sites.
4. Provide a guide for developing local housing policies, programs, and strategies.
Key findings:
* Arizona had the 8th fastest population growth rate in the nation since the pandemic (2021-2022) with an annual growth rate of 1.7%. During this same period, Mohave County’s population increased even faster at 2.1% per year.
* Mohave County and northern La Paz County are projected to add over 75,000 new residents over the next 20 years.
* Income levels in Mohave County remain well below statewide averages but have risen substantially over the last decade.
* Nearly 17% of the renter households in Mohave County spend over half of their household income which compares favorably to Arizona as a whole (21%).
* Local poverty rates are higher in Mohave County (18.2%) compared with Arizona (12.8%).
* The current housing inventory in Mohave County is very tight with vacancy rates estimated at 1%.
* It is estimated that 1 in 5 homes in Mohave County are used as second/seasonal homes. The second home inventory represents 23,714 housing units in Mohave County.
* The income restricted affordable housing inventory includes 1,075 Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) units in Mohave County.
* Current housing developments in Mohave County include at least 12 major subdivisions with over 1,000 housing units planned or under construction.
* Major new business investments are also being planned. Mohave County staff are tracking 12 large business location/expansion projects that are expected to employ 4,000 to 5,000 workers over the next 4 to 10 years.
Housing Needs and Policy Considerations:
Citizens and housing developer/lender input was conducted as part of this study and received over 800 responses. Respondents identified housing affordability and availability of quality rental housing as the biggest issues to be addressed.
If you wish to comment, please visit Mohave.gov or email Director Smith at smitmi@mohave.gov. The last day to respond will be September 14.
