No.
Getting rid of so-called snowbirds—including seasonal homeowners from Canada—would not solve Arizona’s housing crisis. Though seasonal residents do add to demand in some communities, they make up only a fraction of the state’s overall housing market.
Arizona’s housing shortage stems from factors including years of underbuilding, rapid population growth, rising construction costs, zoning restrictions on higher-density housing and growing demand for affordable units. Since 2010, the population has grown by about 22%, while housing units increased by just 12%.
As of mid-2025, Arizona faced a deficit of approximately 121,300 homes, according to the Common Sense Institute. Addressing the shortage will require more multifamily and affordable housing, fewer zoning barriers and policies that encourage construction—not eliminating existing homeowners who live in Arizona part-time.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Housing Affordability in Arizona Quarter 2 2025 Update Common Sense Institute
- New ASU report addresses affordable housing crisis in Arizona, Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability,
- The Housing Crisis, Common Sense Institute
- Arizona’s Affordable Housing Crisis: How Proposed Legislation Could Lead to Progress, Arizona State Law Journal
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
