Mini-Home, Micro-shelter, Multi-family Housing Developments in the City of Tucson

The study began with micro-shelters for people experiencing homelessness but shifted to multi-family development after identifying significant zoning and entitlement barriers. It analyzes Tucson’s zoning framework and compares it to other western cities, then presents text-amendment options and process improvements. Short-term solutions include emergency declarations and partnerships; long-term solutions focus on land use code revisions and Good Neighbor Policies.

Project Overview

Initially, the study focused primarily on the development of temporary housing for homeless people, known as micro-shelters. Many developers of micro-shelters were having difficulties in securing site entitlements for development in a timely manner. After a brief investigation, it became clear it would be difficult to remove those barriers without major code revisions the city was not prepared to undertake. Therefore, the study expanded into multi-family development in general.

Part One of the report looks at the existing definitions and zoning regulations and how those translate onto actual sites in the City of Tucson. We compare these conditions to the conditions of other western United States cities. Part Two provided options in the form of text amendments to the land use code and processes the community and development teams could participate in for the development of multi-family developments.

Short-term options to alleviate some of the barriers to development include: Emergency Declaration, Partnering with Religious Organizations, Revise Land Use Code regulations. Long-term options include: Revise Land Use Code regulations and Formalize Good Neighbor Policies.

Greater Project Description

Initially, the study focused primarily on the development of temporary housing for homeless people, known as micro-shelters. Many developers of micro-shelters were having difficulties in securing site entitlements for development in a timely manner. After a brief investigation, it became clear it would be difficult to remove those barriers without major code revisions the city was not prepared to undertake. Therefore, the study expanded into multi-family development in general. Part One of the report looks at the existing definitions and zoning regulations and how those translate onto actual sites in the City of Tucson. We compare these conditions to the conditions of other western United States cities. Part Two provided options in the form of text amendments to the land use code and processes the community and development teams could participate in for the development of multi-family developments.

The research investigates the barriers to development of micro-shelters, mini-homes, and multi-family housing in the City of Tucson. In general, The City of Tucson land use code and its

application to the actual land in Tucson makes Multi-family Housing a complicated use to develop within Tucson’s city limits. It has definitions separating the number and type of people in residential architecture, it places more restrictions and regulations on developments as they increase in density or decrease in the inhabitants’ ability to autonomously function in society, and there is the lack of developable land for anything beyond 4 residential units.

Short-term options to alleviate some of the barriers to development include: Emergency Declaration, Partnering with Religious Organizations, Revise Land Use Code regulations. Long-term options include: Revise Land Use Code regulations and Formalize Good Neighbor Policies.