I agree, If they want to rent vs buying, there are plenty of nice homes.

I totally agree.  I'm just stating why it is still something that is being talked about.

Where do get apartments are necessary!  How much do you think an apartment/utilities cost.  What a city needs, are commercial industries that pay a decent wage, but will never happen due to the money hungry ex-councilmembers and major who were to busy filling there pockets.  But yet to seem have their hands in the development of this city still.  I have lived her 6 years and changes are only begining to be noticed.  It is not sterotyping it is reality! If you think this city needs apartments to grow, you need to take off your blinders and look at the whole picture.

Aparentments may be needed ... at some point, but is now the right time? Of course people who work in the Copa and don't make alot of $$$ need affordable housing, but $500 a month? That will bring a level of clientele (like it or not, I will only ever speak the truth and sometimes it hurts) that may not be what Maricopa needs right now. We have an excess of empties already and those need to be absorbed. Then we need to bring in business, real business. We need to attract Intel-like employers, Motorola, Honeywell, manufacturers (we have the room!) then as we expand and have the tax base ... because remember renters don't pay property tax and a multi family dwelling will bring in more people who don't contribute to the tax base, the landlordwill pay a property tax, but not as much as all those renting families could bring in if they owned respectively. Once Maricopa becomes something then it may be necessary, but remember, once we have become that kind of city, apartments won't cost $500.00, they'll be more expensive because our location will be worth more ... so although apartments may be needed at some point, I'm not convinced now is the time.

We have Section 8.  How can apartments make it any worse?

If you look at the entire plot planned for Walmart area there are apartments on that already.  I've never heard anything as to when they will be building them but it will help tremendously. 

The average going rate for rent here in Maricopa is about 800.00 (not scientific just looking in the paper and craigslist).  And like it was mentioned before being working for almost nothing need to have a place to afford. 

There is nothing wrong with apartment dwellers.  As mentioned I know people that make tons of money and could buy a house but they chose to live in apartments.  There are many reason they do that.  I am one of them.....I lived in an apartment for 11 years and did it mainly because I didn't want to be responsible for the upkeep.  I didn't have the time. 

It isn't right to stereotype people or situations.  Lower rent will also help people get on their feet instead of ending up homeless somewhere.  There are pros and cons for everything and this issue of apartments is no different.  Just because you have an apartment doesn't mean that you have increased crime and again that is a stereotype that just isn't right.

Every city has section 8 including Malibu and Bevelery Hills. 

Having lived and worked in towns with low rent apartment complexes I can assure you that they were a constant problem for the police and neighborers. Often, stereotypes become stereotypes because they are accurate. One town allowed low cost rentals to be built in the hope that it would provide housing for limited income elderly. The result was that the state moved in muti-generational welfare families from the nearest city. Result, massive drug, crime, property damage, and school disruption problems.Big city problems were imposed on a small town. Not to mention a big increase in demand for local services that the taxpayers had to provide.

At least with the Section 8s we have now, they are limited in number and not all in the same area. Build low cost apartments and we will be faced with in influx of people, many (not all - for the politically correct crowd) without the work ethic or homeowner values. A town can absorb a limited number of such people and still maintain it's character, but once you reach a critical mass, things start to go to  (bad word).

I completely agree that apartments in Maricopa will become a problem. Why would anyone even want to rent an apartment all the way out here? Once you factor in drive times and gas money...a person could surely find an apartment closer into "civilization," for the same cost as all that, don't you think? The ONLY reason I live out here is because I can own a nice home. Otherwise, forget it!

I fear that any apartments way the heck out here will end up being section 8 type rentals because I honestly do not think they can fill them up without it.

Maricopa already has enough trouble, crime, gang crap, domestic calls etc...we do not need more low income rentals.

If anybody who owns a home here ever wants their property values to increase, then having a city full of low income rentals and housing is not going to attract the buyers we need.  What we need in Maricopa is a strong force of buyers who are intersted in buying the homes that are already available, can afford the homes they buy, take pride in their homes and who are invested in making Maricopa a SAFE place to live and raise a family.

I think alot of you are jumping the gun a little bit. Have we even seen some blue prints/scetches of what these apartments MIGHT look like? I don't know about you guys, but I've seen some pretty nice apartment complexes around the Tempe/Chandler/Queen Creek areas.
It's also moronic for alot of you to assume that these renters will bring crime to Maricopa.
Wake up call...this isn't Mayberry.

Lastly, my wife and I were renters for a while, before we could get a home. Give these people a chance, without labeling them "no good for maricopa".