POLL: 7 in 10 Arizona Voters Say Housing Affordability is a Crisis

7 in 10 Arizona Voters Say Housing Affordability is a Crisis

Broad Support for Zoning Reform, Supply Increases, and Down Payment Assistance

PHOENIX (June 20th, 2024) – Arizona's housing affordability crisis has become one of the state's most politically potent issues, with 71% of registered voters describing it as a "crisis" or "major problem," according to a new AZPOP survey from OH Predictive Insights. Thirty-eight percent call it an outright crisis requiring immediate government action, while 33% describe it as a major problem. Only 11% say housing costs are not a significant concern.

Arizona has experienced one of the most rapid housing price escalations of any state over the past five years. The median home price in the Phoenix metropolitan area reached $440,000 in early 2024, up from $280,000 in 2019 — a 57% increase that has outpaced income growth and put homeownership out of reach for a growing share of working Arizonans. Rental costs have similarly surged, with median two-bedroom apartment rents in Phoenix rising 42% since 2019.

The issue's political salience crosses party lines. Among Republicans, 65% describe it as a crisis or major problem. Among Democrats, the figure rises to 79%. Independent voters — who disproportionately skew toward renters and younger working adults — register 73% concern.

"Housing has become the issue of the 2020s in Arizona the way immigration defined the 2010s," says OHPI Chief of Research Mike Noble. "It affects every demographic — young renters, families trying to buy their first home, elderly residents on fixed incomes being displaced from their neighborhoods."

On specific policy solutions, the survey reveals strong bipartisan support for several approaches. Streamlining the permitting process for new housing developments earns 74% support. Allowing higher-density housing near major employment centers and transit corridors (upzoning) gets 61% support — a notable result given Arizona's traditionally suburban development culture. State-funded down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers draws 72% support.

More contentious are measures that would override local zoning ordinances. While 58% of voters support state preemption of restrictive single-family zoning laws in cities with housing shortages, 36% oppose giving the state authority to override local land use decisions — reflecting tensions between housing supply advocates and neighborhood preservation interests.

Short-term rental regulation (platforms like Airbnb and VRBO) draws strong support: 69% of Arizona voters favor allowing cities to limit or regulate short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods to preserve long-term housing supply.

Younger voters (18–34) are most intensely concerned, with 84% calling the situation a crisis or major problem — a finding that has direct electoral implications as this cohort becomes an increasingly significant share of the electorate.

"The housing crisis is changing Arizona politics at a generational level," says OHPI Data Analyst Jacob Joss. "Young voters who feel locked out of homeownership are mobilizing around this issue, and politicians who ignore it do so at their peril."

Methodology: AZPOP conducted June 15–17, 2024. Blended 47% Live Caller / 53% IVR. Arizona Registered Voters. n=600 with ±4.0% MOE. Weighted for gender, region, age, party, ethnicity, education.

Media Contacts:
Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights, [email protected], (480) 313-1837
Jacob Joss, OH Predictive Insights, [email protected], (602) 687-3034