14 Comments

I have yet to figure out how these so-called casitas are going to accommodate FAMILIES. If I were to put one in my yard, it would be less than 600 sq feet. Rather small for a family unless they are sardines. Great for one person though. Granted some properties can accommodate larger casitas, but this is like one of those teeny tiny band aids. Rent control would help immensely and better control of short-term rentals.

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author

My wife and I lived in 600 square feet when we first moved to Phoenix lol. It was tight.

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I hope you did not trip over each other too much. And how many parties or gatherings were you able to have?

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We had a litter of kittens and a bunch of drunk friends who used to drop by unannounced. It was wild times. Paid $535 per month in what is now a very coveted neighborhood. The rest of the historic complex was all like Section 8 at the time. Now it's probably $2k per month.

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founding

Wow...I have a family of four in a house of 750sq and 6 indoor rescues. And Donna, we ain't the exception. A lot of families live in this density. Even in your hood.

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Dannnnng that's a lot of lives in one house! We were up to eight at one point in that place, but six of those were animals.

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Don't tell my former landlord. That probably wasn't allowed.

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I forgot to add. AFFORDABLE???? Who will be able to afford this type of housing that truly needs it? We need workforce housing, not affordable housing. Huge difference. And when I talk to most of my friends and neighbors, we all agree that we could not afford the ghastly designed housing that is going up these days unless we had several roommates which we don't want.

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Sep 7, 2023Liked by Hank Stephenson

I hope the casitas will help younger folks (Flagstaff needs something like that desperately) but everyone I know who has space for a casita says they'd use it for Airbnb. It's a "step forward" the way getting kicked in back of the head also moves a person forward.

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Phoenix says its going to full-on ban them from being used as Airbnbs fwiw. But that wasn't in yesterday's language. Flagstaff had kind of a complicated, you can only airnbn it if... provisions.

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Sep 7, 2023Liked by Hank Stephenson

I'm too lazy to do my own research, but does anyone know how HOAs impact the plan for casitas? Since most of us live in HOA communities with tough rules, I sure hope there is a provision to force HOAs to allow casitas without the HOA exercising any discretion on the matter.

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author

Nope. HOAs can still have their own rules banning casitas.

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Sep 7, 2023Liked by Hank Stephenson

Wow, so casitas are still effectively blocked in many parts of Phx, including all of Ahwatukee. Any idea if there was any discussion of exercising supremacy over HOAs on this matter? Or at least an acknowledgement of the roadblock that HOAs are with regards to casitas? Thx!

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Seemed like a feature rather than a bug. The discussion was more like, but HOAs can still block it right? Ok good then i'm a yes.

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