Somerton townhome project moves forward with construction underway

Construction is underway on a new 29-lot townhome subdivision in Somerton that city leaders say could add much-needed housing options for local workers and families. The Comite de Bienestar Somerton Townhomes project sits on a 3.65-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Madison Street, in the city’s northwest area.

Somerton officials reviewed the preliminary and final plats for the project in August 2024. The city approved the development with conditions that required right-of-way dedications along Cesar Chavez Avenue and County 15th Street, along with improvements to the multi-use pathway serving Cesar Chavez Avenue and Madison Street.

The townhomes were made possible by an earlier land-use change. In January 2024, Somerton planning officials took up a public hearing case that changed the parcel from low-density residential to high-density residential and rezoned the property for the project. That shift cleared the way for a denser housing plan in a part of Somerton that has seen continued pressure as costs have climbed.

Comite de Bien Estar has said the project is meant to keep housing accessible in Somerton, where prices are higher than in other parts of the region. The organization has also said the homes are intended for people who live and work in the city, including school employees and other local workers. Somerton’s community development director has said the development could bring more housing opportunities and economic benefits for the city.

The first phase is expected to deliver the 29 condominiums already approved by the Somerton City Council. A later phase would extend onto nearly 15 acres and add 58 single-family homes and 26 condominiums, making the broader project one of the more substantial housing pushes now taking shape in the city.

The Somerton development fits into Comite de Bien Estar’s wider regional mission. The organization says it focuses on cooperative land development, housing, lending and social services for moderate- to low-income families, and it also operates a Mutual Self Help Housing Program and housing counseling services in Yuma County.

That broader role was underscored in January 2024, when federal funding of $1.9 million was announced to support the group’s self-help housing work in south Yuma County. The money was intended to help build 50 homes, reinforcing Comite de Bien Estar’s position as a growing force in the region’s housing landscape as Somerton looks for ways to widen access to homeownership.