Tiny Homes in Eloy Celebrates Groundbreaking, Fall Completion
June 1, 2026
ELOY — Pinal Hispanic Council’s tiny homes will start to be raised from the ground in Eloy after a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 23.
The homes will be located at 106 E. Fourth St. across from the PHC building. The project has been in the works since 2022.
Ralph Varela and Rose Lopez looked at the empty lot that was used as a parking lot and realized the potential in creating something good for the community.
Varela is PHC director of grants and resource development and community facilitator for the project. Lopez is the president and CEO of Intermountain Centers for Human Development, with which PHC is a subsidiary.
The Arizona Department of Housing, city of Eloy and Eloy Chamber of Commerce, along with building companies and other partners like the architect and landscaping company are helping to bring the project to life. It’s a collaboration of organizations throughout Pinal County and Tucson.
Maryann Beerling, project manager, is with Compass Affordable Housing Inc. She stated the project has until the end of December under state guidelines to do the closeout, but they’re hoping for all of it to be completed sometime in August.
The plan is to build 20 homes with various floor plans. Studios will be around 189 square feet while one- and two-bedroom homes will have 400 square feet. The houses will include kitchens, refrigerators, closets and more.
“We want people to feel like they’re rich when they move in …,” Beerling said. “That feeling, that community and that cohesiveness.”
People believe that tiny homes lack amenities found in larger homes, but these won’t. Some will be handicap accessible.
There will be property management, similar to any apartment complex. There will be an application, screening, background checks and leases.
The homes are intended to help people with their wellness whether financial, physical, mental, employment or medical so they can participate in the social and economic mainstream.
“It’s a bridge,” said Lopez. “You’re going to get individuals who currently have no roof over their head … who can’t afford it. You’re going to get individuals who are going to come here with the idea that they’re going to leave here in much better wellness shape than when they initially arrived.”
The project may provide employment opportunities and an opportunity for more affordable housing that’s not a bridge in Eloy. Lopez grew up in the county and sees the project as a way to also give back. It’s a meaningful project to be a part of.
“I want to see this county prosper, and projects like this only help that,” she said. “They support government in creating that economic stability for residents here within Pinal County.”
Varela said the project is a game changer, everyone working together and seeing it evolve. It’ll be there forever, helping many individuals over time by serving the whole individual through wellness and empowerment, giving them a place to call their own.
It’s hoped they feel connected to Pinal Hispanic Council but also the community as a whole. He stated it’s an exciting project to be a part of.
Lopez said that when something new enters a community, fear can be associated with the unknowns in one’s neighborhood. A community forum was hosted previously to inform residents of the project and receive their thoughts on it.
She wants people to know that PHC is committed to developing Eloy, creating a safe environment for people to come, live and progress in their lives. They’re good partners with the communities they’re in, so they’ll maintain contact with neighbors and local government to ensure the council does their part in keeping Eloy safe.
It was a big step for the city.
ADOH posted on their LinkedIn account on Feb. 23 about the tiny homes project, stating that they provided $5.5 million in State Housing Trust Fund dollars toward the construction of the tiny, factory-built homes for Pinal County residents transitioning out of homelessness. The fund helps bring this rural project “across the finish line.”
The property will have six studio, 11 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom units with two studios fully ADA accessible. The post delved a bit more into the facility amenities such as a common laundry space and outdoor green space and ramada. The facility is set to open this October.
Originally published by the Eloy Enterprise on March 2, 2026.