House Bill 2518 introduces new requirements for municipalities in Arizona regarding zoning ordinances and housing assessments. The bill mandates that by January 1, 2025, municipalities must amend their zoning ordinances to ensure that zoning applications are determined to be administratively complete within 30 days of receipt. If an application is incomplete, the municipality must follow existing statutory procedures until it is complete. Once an application is deemed complete, the municipality has 180 days to approve or deny it, with possible extensions under certain circumstances. The bill exempts land designated as historically significant, areas on the national register of historic places, and planned area developments from these requirements.

Additionally, starting January 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter, municipalities are required to publish a housing needs assessment that includes projected population and job growth, residentially zoned land details, and the need for additional housing units. Municipalities must also submit an annual report to the Arizona Department of Housing detailing proposed, new, and completed residential housing units. The bill outlines specific information to be included in both the housing needs assessment and the annual report. Municipalities with previous housing needs assessments must update their reports to include the required information. The Arizona Department of Housing is tasked with compiling these reports and submitting them to the Governor and Legislature. The bill exempts municipalities on tribal land or with populations under 30,000 from the housing needs assessment and annual reporting requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 9-462.04, 9-462.06, 9-462.10, 9-469, 28-8461, 19-142, 9-835, 9-462.01
House Engrossed Version: 9-462.04, 9-462.10, 9-469, 28-8461, 19-142, 9-835, 9-462.01