Sarah Clark, senior planner in Queen Creek’s Development Services Department, told the Town Council on Jan. 14 that a state law passed in 2024 required municipalities to produce a housing needs assessment and a plan to meet five‑year growth projections. "SB 1162 ... required all cities and towns to develop and publish a housing needs assessment by Jan 1, 2025," Clark said.

Clark said the town worked with consultant Michael Baker to complete the assessment and that the analysis found Queen Creek currently has enough vacant zoned residential land — both single‑family and multifamily — to accommodate projected five‑year population and job growth. Using the town’s planning inputs, Clark said the report projects roughly 5,000 single‑family units and 1,800 multifamily units would be needed to meet the five‑year housing need, for a total of about 6,786 units, and that Queen Creek’s vacant zoned capacity shows a substantial surplus relative to that need.

The assessment shows Queen Creek has a younger median age and higher household incomes than surrounding counties, larger household sizes and a housing stock dominated by single‑family homes. "Queen Creek has a younger average age, higher incomes, larger household size, higher household sale prices, higher rent prices, and more single family housing than alternative housing," Clark said.

The report’s recommendations emphasize facilitating development to meet that need rather than identifying a raw land shortfall. Clark outlined recommended steps for the town, including continuing to evaluate proposals for new density consistent with the general plan and buffer/transition manual, coordinating with the Arizona State Land Department on state‑land parcels, encouraging accessory dwelling unit (ADU) development, and supporting smaller rental bedroom sizes and process improvements to reduce development timeframes.

Councilmembers asked follow‑up questions about water supply and how land without an assured water supply would affect buildability, and Clark said she would follow up with additional detail for council. Councilmember Benning asked specifically about state policy on assured water supply and two large tracts he believed lacked it; Clark replied she would research the question and follow up by email.

Councilmember Brown asked whether the analysis counted platted but undeveloped parcels; Clark said the study included both unplatted vacant parcels and platted undeveloped parcels when calculating capacity. The council discussion noted the housing assessment will feed into the town’s General Plan update scheduled to begin this year. Clark said the state requires the housing assessment every five years and the town will revisit housing elements as part of the 2028 general plan process.

The presentation did not include any council votes and was provided for discussion and future planning.

The report and consultant materials remain the record of the town’s calculation methods and assumptions, including the population growth inputs and household size used to derive unit needs.