Former Housing and Group Improvement Director Liz Morales has been promoted to assistant metropolis supervisor for the town of Tucson.
As metropolis supervisor, Morales’ work will embody offering oversight and help to the Public Works Division, which incorporates the departments of Housing, Planning and Improvement Providers, Parks and Recreation, Transportation and Mobility, and Water and Environmental Providers.
“This promotion is really well-deserved, and we
eagerly anticipate witnessing the continued optimistic modifications beneath her
skilled steerage,” metropolis officers stated in a information launch.
Morales seems to be ahead to implementing packages that she labored to develop whereas head of the Division of Housing and Group Improvement to assist alleviate Tucson’s housing disaster.
“My work round housing and homelessness — that’s actually been a citywide
effort,” stated Morales. “Quite a lot of momentum is there, and so now, in my
new function, I get to additionally proceed that in a collaborative means.”
The promotion makes Morales one of many prime leaders in Metropolis Supervisor Mike Ortega’s administration, becoming a member of Assistant Metropolis Managers Tim Thomure (promoted from the Water Division) and Anna Rosenberry (who serves because the chief monetary officer; employed from a publish in Bozeman, Mont.).
As Director of Housing and Group Improvement, Morales helped create the Housing Affordability Technique Plan, which goals to extend inexpensive rental housing and homeownership in Tucson by means of the creation of extra inexpensive items aimed on the metropolis’s most susceptible populations.
The plan proposes to protect and renovate current public housing items and construct new ones, along with updating zoning ordinances to incentivize inexpensive housing building, and scale back Tucson’s housing segregation.
Morales additionally led the event of a 63-unit inexpensive housing undertaking for seniors known as Milagro on Oracle, the primary undertaking initiated by the town to obtain federal Low-income Tax Credit. The $2.1 million tax credit score will go to bringing in non-public builders for its building.
“Her dedication to fostering equitable housing alternatives and
enhancing group improvement will undoubtedly depart an enduring influence
on the way forward for Tucson,” stated metropolis officers.
Morales is leaving the Division of Housing and Group Improvement within the fingers of interim director Ann Chanecka, whom Morales believes will be capable of keep it up seamlessly with the division’s plans.
“I feel that the 4 years of being there has actually created each the
roadmap and the mannequin for us to maintain doing that work,” stated Morales.
Morales beforehand served because the director of Housing and Group Improvement for the town of Mesa and because the housing supervisor for the town of Phoenix.