Tempe Mayor Corey Woods has been named Advocate of the Year by the Arizona Housing Coalition for his commitment to making systems level changes to accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing in Tempe.
Woods has championed the issue throughout his time as an elected official with the City of Tempe and as a board member with local nonprofit organizations focused on housing and human services.
“I am humbled by this recognition and grateful for the work of the Arizona Housing Coalition and all the awardees in addressing affordable housing issues in our region and state,” Woods said. “This is a critical and complex issue and the stakes are so high for individuals and families in our communities. It takes all of us working together, not just a single municipality or non-profit or business, to advocate for those most in need and tackle these challenges.”
“I am truly honored to work alongside our City Council, non-profit and development partners and, importantly, our residents to increase affordable and workforce housing opportunities so that anyone who wants to call Tempe home can do so,” Woods said.
Woods was elected Mayor in March 2020 and previously served as a Tempe Councilmember from July 2008-July 2016. He has been a vocal advocate for increasing housing affordability throughout his time in office.
While on the City Council, Woods was instrumental in the development of many affordable housing projects such as Valor on Eighth, Gracie’s Village, Apache ASL Trails and Encore on Farmer.
After leaving the City Council in 2016, Woods continued to focus on expanding affordable housing by serving on the Newtown Community Development Corporation board.
As Mayor, Woods was the driving force behind the city’s Hometown for All affordable housing initiative, which was adopted by the full City Council in 2021. The initiative creates a dedicated funding stream to accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing and also provides updated guidance for voluntary contributions by developers and other entities.
The post Tempe Mayor Recognized AHC Advocate Of The Year appeared first on Arizona Informant.
