Affordable homes vanishing,

From the Arizona Republic, reports that the Valley and other Arizona cities such as Flagstaff are having problems finding workers who can afford to live there because of high housing costs. Norther Arizona University is having trouble hiring professors, and Flagstaff is having a hard time hiring teachers, firefighters and police officers due to high housing costs. A report by the Arizona Housing Commission this fall tracked incomes, home prices and rents statewide. The study found that police officers, nurses, teachers and firefighters can't afford to buy a home in half of Arizona's biggest communities. Retail and restaurant workers can't even afford to rent in any of the 30 areas tracked, ranging from tiny Safford to sprawling Phoenix. The result is that many workers live farther away from work areas, adding to commute times. That is why people are moving to Pinal County who work in Phoenix, and why workers in Lake Havasu City are living in Mohave Valley and driving 100 miles round trip to their jobs. Projections show that half the jobs expected to be created in Arizona during the next five years won't pay enough for people to buy, or even rent in the communities where they work.

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