2022 Exemplary Local Leadership: City of Tempe

The City of Tempe is being recognized for efforts that demonstrate the city staff and elected officials’ commitment to smart growth, equity, and business development in recent years. Among this work are unique programs addressing equity, housing, and small business development.

Tempe’s Equity in Action program is designed to increase the participation of underrepresented residents in the city’s planning and decision-making processes. The aim is for projects of all kinds – from local park improvements and streetscapes to bigger-picture, citywide issues like the Climate Action Plan – to receive more and better input from the widest possible array of Tempe residents.

Equity is important to the City of Tempe because it cultivates a healthy and resilient city and connected community, where diverse opinions are sought out, heard, understood, and incorporated into decision-making. 

Equity in Action strives to create equitable engagement tools for public involvement plans that included equity metrics for action and policy. The initial focus was to create programs, policies and infrastructure reflective of the diversity and values of Tempe residents, making sure that equity was at the forefront of decision-making processes moving forward. The replicable process initially developed virtually during the pandemic is now being tested in the community.

Hometown for All, an innovative initiative approved by the Tempe City Council in January 2021, accelerates the growth of affordable housing through a sustainable funding stream, and ensures the city can create the next generation of affordable and workforce housing opportunities within it. The initiative, introduced and championed by Mayor Corey Woods, reflects the city leadership’s desire to make certain it has a variety of housing types for anyone who wants to live there, no matter their circumstances.

By providing a dedicated revenue source to purchase land and properties with the sole purpose of increasing permanent affordable and workforce housing stock, Hometown for All effectively addresses affordable housing needs within city limits and within the confines of state laws that prohibit certain planning and development tools, such as inclusionary zoning, which can be used by communities in other states. It also establishes a system for developers to make voluntary contributions to help the city meet affordable housing goals. 

“We are putting our own skin in the game,” Mayor Woods said. “It’s not just asking the developers to solve this problem. It’s not just crossing your fingers and your toes and hoping the problem solves itself. It’s actually the city saying this is an important enough goal to us that we are willing to put our own money into this account to ensure that we meet this challenge. That’s important.”

Tempe-based micro-manufacturing businesses owned by BIPOC entrepreneurs will be eligible to participate in a developing innovative program to support Tempe companies with the coaching and capital they need to be successful, from a series of first-ever federal and local grants under a new program created by the city in September 2022. Five partners were provided initial contracts for business consulting services and to administer grant funds, including another LISC award winner, RAIL CDC, as part of this effort that Tempe Mayor Corey Woods believes is a way of investing in the city’s future economic growth.

“Investing in Tempe’s entrepreneurs is a way of investing in our city’s future economic growth,” said Mayor Woods. “This is an innovative way of helping to support Tempe companies with the coaching and capital they need to be successful.”
Micro-manufacturing is the creation of products in small quantities, often using smaller manufacturing facilities. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, about 11% of Arizona small businesses are minority-owned.

The $800,000 program includes $500,000 from the federal Congressional Community Project Funding and $300,000 from the City of Tempe.

Thank you, Tempe, for your leadership.