Bishop John Dolan attended Housing for Hope’s, an affiliate of Catholic Charities Community Services, grand opening of the second phase of Acacia Heights Apartments, an affordable housing complex near 7th Avenue and Camelback in Central Phoenix, where he blessed the newly developed property and took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 23.

Acacia Heights II, which features 66 units of varying sizes, joins more than a dozen affordable housing projects Catholic Charities runs throughout Greater Metro Phoenix and Northern Arizona.

“Acacia Heights has required great community support and a dedicated team of partners to see it through to completion. Catholic Charities’ Housing for Hope is happy to see this critical community resource continue to grow, and we’re so delighted to open the doors to the second phase of housing,” said Catholic Charities Vice President of Business Development/Housing for Hope Executive Director, Steve Capobres.

An epidemic of homelessness is afflicting the nation, with a lack of accessible housing identified as a major cause. According to the latest Point in Time count, homelessness in Arizona increased by more than five percent in 2023, ranking Arizona in the top-10 U.S. states for the highest rate of unhoused individuals. Acacia Heights provides a critical resource for families and individuals in need.

Designed to not only be a safe, comfortable home, the entire development was built with community and support in mind. Compassionate team members create a welcoming, community-centered environment by bringing residents together for social gatherings, mobile food pantries, afterschool activities for children and more. They also help with connecting to critical resources in the community, such as low-cost medical and dental services, medical loan equipment and donated household necessities.

Additionally, Catholic Charities provides resident services specialists in the Phoenix-area community, who offer resources and referrals so that residents remain housed despite common challenges, such as loss of employment, medical or mental health issues, loss of family or support systems and the impact of inflation.

When all three phases are completed, the entire Acacia Heights property will be comprised of 212 units. Phase three recently broke ground and will be completed in the spring of 2026.