Avondale has opened six two-bedroom transitional homes intended to help families move from homelessness into permanent housing, adding a small but concrete piece of family-focused shelter capacity in the West Valley.
The city said the Family Bridge Homes opened Sept. 21 near the Arizona Complete Health Avondale Resource Center. Each home has a private bathroom and full kitchen. Families will receive case management and other support while they work through barriers to securing longer-term housing.
The approximately $3 million project combines $1.9 million in Maricopa County American Rescue Plan Act funding with money from Avondale’s general fund. The county contribution represents roughly 63% of the stated project cost. Avondale said future operations and services will rely on city general funds and federal HOME-ARP money.
Six homes, with services attached
A New Leaf will administer and operate the program. Placement is not automatic: the nonprofit will conduct intake and eligibility assessments, and the city says an assessment does not guarantee that a family will receive one of the six homes.
The model pairs temporary housing with support intended to help participating families reach permanent housing. That makes the homes different from a nightly shelter or a conventional affordable-housing development. The city did not announce a standard length of stay, annual capacity or a public application list in its Sept. 22 release.
Architectural Resources Team designed the community, and Blackhawk Construction was the contractor. Avondale has not publicized the homes’ exact address, describing them only as being near the city resource center. West Valley Post is likewise not publishing a more precise location for housing used by families experiencing homelessness.
How the project reached opening day
The homes have been in Avondale’s homelessness strategy for at least two years. During an October 2024 council update, staff reported that the city and county were developing six bridge-housing units for families. The same presentation said Avondale’s broader homeless-services initiative had helped 21 families, including 31 adults and 51 children, gain access to safe shelter during fiscal 2024. Those figures described the wider initiative before the new homes opened, not occupancy at this site.
On Aug. 31, 2026, the City Council’s consent agenda included an operating and maintenance agreement with A New Leaf for the Family Bridge Homes. The city’s opening announcement now identifies A New Leaf as the program operator.
The city’s earlier homelessness report also described outreach, hotel and motel vouchers, case coordination and services through the Avondale Resource Center. The six homes give that system a dedicated place where families can live while working toward a permanent option.
How Avondale residents can seek help
People seeking housing or homelessness assistance can contact the Arizona Complete Health Avondale Resource Center at 623-333-2703 or SONAR@AvondaleAZ.gov. The center is at 995 E. Riley Drive and can connect residents with A New Leaf for intake and assessment. Residents can also call 2-1-1 for additional services.
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration. It does not depict the actual Family Bridge Homes, their design or their location.
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