SEDONA, Ariz. — A lack of affordable housing for workers in Sedona has resulted in the city creating a space where they can legally sleep in their cars overnight and have access to necessary amenities.
After an hours-long meeting featuring several residents speaking in opposition to the proposal, the Sedona City Council voted Tuesday night to designate a temporary space where local workers can sleep in their cars.
To park in the safe zone, participants must show proof of employment in Sedona or enrollment in a local school. The safe parking zone will be open from 4 p.m.-8 a.m. and participants will be expected to pay a fee to park, city records show.
City officials said the two-year program will offer a solution until the city can develop up to 1,300 new housing units, as well as allow workers to live in Sedona rather than commute from another community.
"There is no available housing in the Verde Valley, it's totally limited," Councilwoman Jessica Williamson said.
Many Sedona residents expressed concerns to the council about the location of the car park not being appropriate, staff not being able to properly vet people using the car park and the fear that the park will create issues with surrounding neighbors.
"Sedona is a small town and we do not need the problems that so many areas in the country are experiencing these days," one resident wrote in a letter to the city about the proposal.
The housing troubles surrounding Sedona have been well documented for the last couple of years.
In 2022, residents in Cottonwood complained that their housing was being bought up by a Sedona resort, which needed a place to house its workers since they could not find housing in Sedona.
That same year, Sedona started offering money to homeowners who were willing to rent out their residences to local workers.
A quick Zillow search shows the cheapest rental in Sedona is a 360-square-foot studio for $1,350 per month. The average home price is listed at over $930,000.
Sedona's leaders stressed they don't want to see residents living out of their cars. But they believe the car park could be a feasible option until the city's housing supply improves.
"We have members of our community that need help and we can do this temporary thing. It's not the best thing...we're working on it," Councilman Pete Furman said.
Records show the parking program will be funded mostly through a grant from the Arizona Department of Housing.
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