Phoenix celebrates groundbreaking of The Moreland, 237-unit affordable housing project

Phoenix Breaks Ground on The Morland: 237-Unit Affordable Housing Project Marks City's Housing Leadership and Signals Phase Two Momentum

Phoenix city officials and private partners gathered on February 13, 2026, for the groundbreaking of The Morland, a 237-unit affordable housing development positioned as a watershed moment in the city's aggressive expansion of affordable housing stock. The project, built on a 2-acre site downtown where Deck Park Vista Apartments stood before demolition in 2022, represents the first major joint venture between the city, Brinshore Development, and a coalition of state and private funding partners including CVS Health, the Arizona Department of Housing, and the Arizona Finance Authority. Construction is targeted for January 2028 completion in two phases.

The event was framed not as a routine groundbreaking but as validation of a strategic housing commitment that has reshaped Phoenix's development landscape in less than five years. Housing Director Titus Matthew opened by describing the project as the culmination of four years of effort, acknowledging the site's former residents and pledging their priority return: "The former residents of Deck Park Vista and the nearby Edison East Lake Choice neighborhoods community will have the first opportunity to return and become part of this new community."

Key Speeches

"This project was unusual and it was pushed to the limits. And I think I feel for my team out here, Angela Bradpuffer and their teams and Grinshaw, it was a lot of uh stress, tension, and uh trying to figure out solutions to how to get to the finish line." — Titus Matthew, Housing Director

"The Morland to me represents not only uh a housing but it represents true collaboration and I am truly grateful for every partner who came together to make this project come to life." — Kesha Hodge Washington

"I can relate to a lot of what a lot of the residents go through just from my life story. So, it's um, extremely uh, important for me to partner with the right people in the right places." — Kelly Savage, CVS Health

"Affordable housing development is not easy. Building affordable housing just doesn't happen naturally. It takes leadership and commitment from cities like Phoenix to make this kind of a project happen. To hear what they have done in such a short period of time uh is amazing." — Rich Shito, Brinshore Development

Timeline

• Housing Director opening: Titus Matthew framed the groundbreaking as culmination of four-year effort, described compressed six-month closing timeline as unusually challenging, and acknowledged stress on city staff and Brinshore teams.
• Vice Mayor remarks: Kesha Hodge Washington emphasized the project as representation of true collaboration, praised the housing staff's leadership, and pivoted immediately to Phase Two planning, signaling readiness to move quickly on expansion.
• State Housing Director remarks: Ruby Dylan Williams (Arizona Department of Housing) called the project "a labor of love," confirmed readiness to review Phase Two LIHTC application, and reinforced state partnership.
• CVS Health investment narrative: Kelly Savage recounted Brinshore's track record supporting student housing developers in Milwaukee, explained CVS's $18 million Morland investment as part of $86 million Arizona affordable housing portfolio (over 2,000 units statewide), and emphasized healthcare-housing linkage via 110,000 Etna members and 400,000 Mercy Care members in region.
• Brinshore principal remarks: Rich Shito acknowledged compressed timeline deterred RFP respondents, praised city's commitment level as unmatched in 17-state portfolio, thanked financing partners (City Bank lender, CVS, Redstone syndicator, Phoenix IDA, Arizona Finance Authority), and credited Brinshore team (Emily Aland, Mike Shortino, Gwen McCain, Drew Scill, Alex Kataric) for six-month closing.
• Staff recognition: Matthew recognized Deputy Housing Director Angela Duncan, Housing Manager Brad Puffer, relocation staff (Mala Tanaba, Caroline Johnson, Ivet), City Manager Gina Marquez, Assistant City Managers Ginger Spencer and Lorie Bass, Phoenix IDA's Mike Collins, and Arizona Finance Authority Director Greg Gelfie for volume cap award.
• Closing remarks: Matthew reiterated phase two urgency, inviting partners to "not wait another 10 years" and signaling he expects strong LIHTC scoring for the next phase.

Opposition

Not stated in transcript. No organized opposition or public comment recorded at groundbreaking ceremony.

Support

The event was structured as a celebration with no opposing voices. All speakers represented official city government, state housing authority, private healthcare investment, and the development team. Support was universal across represented constituencies:

• City leadership: Kesha Hodge Washington and Kesha Hodge Washington (same person) framed affordable housing as top municipal priority; Mayor emphasized housing as foundational to all other social outcomes ("physiological needs before social needs"), invoked Maslow's hierarchy.
• State housing authority: Ruby Dylan Williams affirmed housing as "foundation for so many things" (health, education, employment, stability) and pledged continued partnership.
• Healthcare investor: CVS Health's Kelly Savage positioned company's $18 million investment as aligned with corporate mission ("housing is healthcare") and highlighted regional provider network (Etna, Mercy Care, Banner, Oak Street Health) as supporting community integration.
• Developer: Brinshore's Rich Shito celebrated city's unmatched commitment across 17-state portfolio and pledged pride in community partnership; emphasized project's life-changing impact on residents and neighborhood diversification.
• City staff and partner agencies: All recognized parties (housing staff, city management, Phoenix IDA, Arizona Finance Authority) received applause and explicit gratitude.

Project Details

• Case number: Not stated in transcript.
• Applicant / developer: Brinshore Development (co-developer with City of Phoenix).
• Attorney: Not identified in transcript.
• Location / address: Downtown Phoenix, District 8 (Vice Mayor's council district); site of former Deck Park Vista Apartments.
• APN (if stated): Not stated in transcript.
• Current zoning → Proposed zoning: Not stated in transcript.
• Density / units / square footage: 237 total units (mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments) on 2-acre site; Phase One and Phase Two breakdown not specified in transcript.
• Amenities: Community rooms for gathering, fitness centers, dedicated areas for teens and youth, supportive services including career and academic coaching, entrepreneurship opportunities, and financial education.
• Resident services: Priority return for displaced residents from original Deck Park Vista Apartments; supportive services for long-term self-sufficiency.

Vote Breakdown

Not applicable. This was a ceremonial groundbreaking event, not a city council or planning commission vote. No formal voting record.

Outcome & Next Steps

Construction commenced on schedule at the groundbreaking. The project is expected to deliver Phase One units by January 2028. All speakers and city officials emphasized Phase Two as immediate next priority; Ruby Dylan Williams (state housing director) explicitly stated readiness to review Phase Two LIHTC application. Titus Matthew signaled phase two application development is underway and expressed urgency to avoid another decade-long delay. The city's newly established housing trust fund ($3.5 million as of the meeting date) will be critical to Phase Two gap financing; multiple speakers (Titus Matthew, Kesha Hodge Washington) called for growth of the fund to meet ongoing affordable housing financing needs.

Controversies & Context

No controversies were evident in transcript. However, several contextual pressures and accomplishments were highlighted:

1. Compressed timeline as exceptional challenge: Multiple speakers (Titus Matthew, Rich Shito, Kelly Savage) acknowledged the six-month closing as "unusual" and "tough to get closed," with Shito noting that the compressed timeline deterred many RFP respondents—only Brinshore stepped forward. Matthew referenced "stress, tension" and the need to "figure out solutions to get to the finish line."

2. Federal resource constraints: Titus Matthew noted that diminishing federal resources are harming affordable housing development capacity and necessitating reliance on state and private partnerships.

3. 50,000-unit goal achievement ahead of schedule: The city's 2020 goal of 50,000 affordable units by 2030 was achieved five years early (as of December 31, 2025), with 64,000 units created or preserved. Affordable units jumped from less than 10% of total units four years ago to 20% currently—a significant strategic shift that Titus Matthew called "remarkable."

4. State volume cap necessity: Greg Gelfie (Arizona Finance Authority) was recognized as essential to project success for awarding extra state volume cap, without which tax-exempt bonds could not be issued. Titus Matthew explicitly called for elected officials to lobby for expanded state volume cap: "we need more volume cap in Arizona right Greg."

5. Housing trust fund infancy: Kesha Hodge Washington was named champion of Phoenix's first-ever housing trust fund, capitalized at $3.5 million as of the groundbreaking date. Both Titus Matthew and the Vice Mayor indicated the fund "has got to grow" and invited community advocates to lobby elected officials for expansion.

6. Phase Two momentum and urgency: Vice Mayor and Housing Director both emphasized urgency in moving Phase Two forward; Matthew stated "I don't want to wait another 10 years to get this done," signaling institutional awareness that delays can stretch projects over decades.

Duration

• This item: Approximately 45–50 minutes (opening remarks, five major speeches, staff recognition, closing remarks).
• Total meeting: Not identified in transcript (appears to be a standalone groundbreaking ceremony, not a city council or planning commission meeting).

Other Notable Items

None. The transcript contains a single ceremonial event focused entirely on The Morland groundbreaking and Phase Two planning signals. No separate agenda items, votes, or other business were recorded.