Photo Credit: mashadvisor.com
Scottsdale recently received the dubious distinction of being among the top 10 cities in the United States for most expensive rents.
“So what”, some may say. Well, here’s why it matters.
A whopping 72% of City of Scottsdale employees now live outside the city because it has become too expensive to live in the community. That doesn’t just add to pollution and traffic congestion regionally, it has created a major employee services and recruitment problem for the city.
Think of it this way. If you can work in Queen Creek, Buckeye or elsewhere with city job for relatively the same salary as Scottsdale offers – and gas prices are now through the roof – why would you want to pay exorbitant housing prices?
This is all happening in real time. Whether it has become a crisis is for others to say. But there’s no doubt a problem, a big one. A majority of the current Scottsdale City Council talks of the benefits of putting the brakes on business and growth. Some say that the city doesn’t need more apartments, for example. Well these are the consequences of such an approach. And Scottsdale will not be the better for a less qualified workforce and a less diverse community.