PHOENIX, ARIZONA — April 10, 2026

Phoenix celebrates Helen Drake Village, 80-unit affordable senior housing groundbreaking ahead of schedule

Phoenix held a groundbreaking ceremony for Helen Drake Village, an 80-unit affordable senior housing development co-located with a senior center, representing the city's first such innovative project and part of broader Housing Phoenix Plan progress exceeding targets.

Phoenix Breaks Ground on Helen Drake Village, 80-Unit Senior Housing Development Co-Located with Senior Center, Marking City's First Integrated Affordable-Housing Model

The City of Phoenix held a groundbreaking ceremony for Helen Drake Village, an 80-unit affordable senior housing development designed for residents 55 and older, positioned directly adjacent to the Helen Drake Senior Center. The event marked a milestone in the city's Housing Phoenix Plan, the city's first comprehensive housing strategy approved in 2020, and showcased an innovative model combining residential affordable housing with existing senior services—a first for Phoenix.

The project is 3 months ahead of schedule and will be completed with a full suite of amenities, including community gardens, pickle ball courts, walking paths, and shared community spaces. Units include both one- and two-bedroom homes designed with seniors in mind. Mayor Kate Gallego, Councilwoman Betty Guardado, Housing Director Titus Matthew, Arizona Department of Housing Deputy Director Cindy Startler, and developer Alex Papovich of Richmond Group all participated in the ceremony.

Key Speeches

"We know so many older adults need help with high-quality housing and today we are partnering with the Richmond Group to be part of the solution there. Some call this the silver tsunami where so many people are aging and need help with good housing options." — Mayor Kate Gallego

"Today is about more than breaking ground. It's about building opportunity, dignity, and stability for our seniors here in District 5. Helen Drake Village represents what's possible when vision and collaboration come together. This will be the city's first affordable housing development located right next to an existing senior center." — Councilwoman Betty Guardado, District 5

"Helen Drake Village is not just named after her. It is built in her spirit. It is a promise to our seniors, a promise to our community, and a promise to carry forward a legacy that began more than half a century ago." — Alex Papovich, Richmond Group

"I want to specifically thank Governor Kitty Hobbs for her historic investment in affordable housing and the state housing trust fund. Her support for funding like that makes projects like this happen." — Cindy Startler, Deputy Director, Arizona Department of Housing

Timeline

October 2022: Helen Drake Village project planning begins via RFP for city-owned land redevelopment, the first major post-COVID affordable housing initiative by Phoenix.
2023: Project awarded $1.3 million in federal low-income housing tax credits.
2020: Housing Phoenix Plan approved by Mayor and City Council.
December (referenced as recent update in ceremony): Housing Phoenix Plan reports 64,000 units created or preserved, exceeding 50,000-unit goal; affordable housing percentage increased from 10% to 20% of total units created.
Groundbreaking date: Held on a Friday morning (date not specified in transcript).
Expected completion: Three months ahead of original schedule; first residents anticipated within 12 months from groundbreaking.

Project Details

Applicant/Developer: Richmond Group (Alex Papovich, principal)
Zoning Attorney: Nick Wood, Snell & Wilmer LLP
Architects: Bill Form and City Fabric Architects
Civil Engineering: Atwell Engineering
General Contractor: EOS
Location/Address: Adjacent to Helen Drake Senior Center, Phoenix (District 5)
Current Status: City-owned land, redeveloped under Housing Phoenix Plan initiative
Units: 80 affordable units for seniors 55+
Unit Mix: One- and two-bedroom homes
Amenities: Community gardens, pickle ball courts, walking paths, shared community spaces, integrated access to Helen Drake Senior Center services and programming
Funding Sources:
- $1.3 million in federal low-income housing tax credits (awarded 2023)
- $1 million in state tax credits
- $2.5 million in state housing trust funds (Arizona Department of Housing)
Part of: Housing Phoenix Plan redevelopment of city-owned land initiative; 300+ new affordable housing units in progress under this program to date

Funding & Financial Context

The Arizona Department of Housing, under Deputy Director Cindy Startler, administers the low-income housing tax credit program, described as "the primary funding for affordable housing across the nation." Startler noted that the 1.3 million in federal tax credits represented a long development timeline—Alex Papovich had approached the state about the project roughly a year before the 2023 award, illustrating the extended timeline typical of affordable housing projects. The state also contributed $1 million in state tax credits, a program Startler indicated was "unfortunately sunset right now," and urged attendees to lobby for its extension. Additionally, $2.5 million came from the state housing trust fund, a mechanism Governor Kitty Hobbs championed. Startler emphasized the state's significant capital investment in the project and its pride in partnering with the City of Phoenix and Kate Gallego on affordable housing initiatives in the valley, where the greatest population and need exists.

Support

The event was entirely celebratory with no formal public comment period recorded. All speakers present—city officials, state representatives, and the developer—expressed unified support for the project. Support themes included:

Co-location innovation: Helen Drake Village as the city's first affordable housing development integrated with an existing senior center, combining housing with existing services, nutrition, programming, and community.
Housing Phoenix Plan success: The plan exceeded its 50,000-unit goal, reaching 64,000 units created or preserved as of December, with affordable housing rising from 10% to 20% of total units created.
Betty Guardado vision: Kate Gallego and Director Matthew credited Betty Guardado with originating the idea of building affordable senior housing adjacent to the Helen Drake Senior Betty Guardado emphasized the community-driven approach, citing neighbors including Jeff Spellelman and neighborhood associations (Glen Canyon Vista, North Glenn Square) who helped build support.
District 5 momentum: Betty Guardado highlighted two recent projects: the Haven (for seniors exiting homelessness), which opened prior to Helen Drake Village, and this project. Both aim to ensure seniors exiting homelessness have stable housing and pathways to self-sufficiency.
Developer commitment: Alex Papovich and Richmond Group were praised for their thoughtful design, professionalism, and community engagement beyond mere development—Papovich serves on boards and commissions and advocates at conferences for low-income housing and related services.
Women in leadership: Papovich noted that the City of Phoenix is led by Kate Gallego (second woman mayor) and Betty Guardado, with seven of nine council members being women. He also highlighted that Richmond Group is a majority-woman-owned company (55% of workforce).
Helen Drake's legacy: The project honors Helen Drake, a City of Phoenix employee who led aging services from the 1960s onward, establishing the city's first senior center (resulting from a 1968 federal grant study on elderly nutrition), founding 19 senior centers across Phoenix, creating the older workers program (pre-dating modern diversity and inclusion discussions), and pioneering the first transportation system for elderly residents.

Opposition

No opposition was recorded or mentioned in the transcript. The groundbreaking ceremony did not include a public comment period or a formal hearing format. Betty Guardado did acknowledge community engagement with neighbors and neighborhood associations during the planning phase, suggesting that concerns had been addressed prior to the ceremony.

Vote Breakdown

Not applicable. The groundbreaking ceremony was not a voting matter. It marked the commencement of construction on a project that had already completed planning, permitting, financing, and entitlement processes.

Outcome & Next Steps

Outcome: The groundbreaking ceremony was held successfully on a Friday morning with city leadership, state officials, community partners, and seniors present. The project is 3 months ahead of schedule, indicating expedited development timelines.

Next Steps:

Construction underway with EOS as general contractor.
First residents anticipated to move in within 12 months from groundbreaking.
City to continue redevelopment of remaining city-owned land parcels under Housing Phoenix Plan; 300+ affordable housing units remain in progress across multiple sites.
Housing Phoenix Plan continues tracking toward additional milestones; the plan's performance to date (64,000 units created or preserved, with 20% affordable) positions the city to expand its portfolio and demonstrate the viability of integrated senior housing and services models.
Betty Guardado stated she looked forward to "standing here again next year welcoming the first residents to Helen Drake Village."

Controversies & Context

No controversies were evident in the transcript. The groundbreaking was entirely celebratory. However, context worth noting:

Affordable Housing Challenge in the U.S.: Alex Papovich emphasized that "affordable housing is really, really difficult" and represents "one of the most challenging and risky undertakings in the private sector in development today." He cited the need to secure "complex financing structures," "competitive tax credits," "public and private interests," navigate "zoning, entitlement and permitting processes," manage "rising construction costs," and operate within tight margins and volatile cost environments. The Helen Drake Village project's 2+ year development timeline (October 2022 RFP initiation to groundbreaking) exemplifies these complexities.

State Funding Sunset Risk: Deputy Director Startler noted that Arizona's state tax credit program, which contributed $1 million to Helen Drake Village, is "unfortunately sunset right now" and urged attendees to "lobby for the extension of that program."

Silver Tsunami & Aging Population: Kate Gallego referenced the "silver tsunami"—the demographic reality of aging baby boomers requiring increased housing and services. The 80-unit development is part of the city's broader senior housing portfolio, which now exceeds 1,000 public housing and affordable units.

Housing Trust Fund: Director Titus Matthew announced that the City of Phoenix recently approved its "first-ever housing trust fund," described as "a major celebration, a major milestone" enabling "additional affordable housing options and funding mechanisms."

Women in Leadership Progress: Kate Gallego (second woman to lead Phoenix) and Alex Papovich highlighted the significance of female leadership. Papovich drew a direct line from Helen Drake's pioneering work in the 1960s—when women rarely held executive roles in government—to the current City Council composition (seven of nine members women) and Richmond Group's majority-woman workforce (55%). This narrative underscored that representation influences decision-making and community outcomes.

Duration

This item (Helen Drake Village Groundbreaking): Not discretely timed in the transcript; the ceremony included formal remarks by Titus Matthew (housing director), Kate Gallego, Betty Guardado, Cindy Startler (state), and Alex Papovich, followed by the ceremonial groundbreaking itself. Based on speaker count and remarks, estimated 45–90 minutes.
Total meeting: This was a groundbreaking ceremony, not a city council or planning commission vote. No other agenda items recorded.

Other Notable Items

Housing Phoenix Plan Performance & Housing Trust Fund: Director Matthew reported that as of December, the Housing Phoenix Plan has created or preserved 64,000 units, exceeding the original 50,000-unit goal. Additionally, the affordable housing percentage of total units created has doubled from 10% to 20%. He also highlighted the recent City Council approval of the city's first-ever housing trust fund, which enables new financing and funding mechanisms for affordable housing expansion.

300+ Units in Progress: As part of the Housing Phoenix Plan's city-owned land redevelopment initiative, more than 300 new affordable housing units are currently in progress. Helen Drake Village's 80 units represent one component of this larger initiative, demonstrating the city's systematic approach to housing production on municipal properties.