The Viviendas Asistenciales housing for the elderly and people with disabilities has 31 completely accessible units with individual courtyards grouped around a common courtyard. In its use of courtyards the design reflects desert architecture the world over. Desert trees and an operable dacron canopy shield the main courtyard from the hot sun to improve the comfort of the residents. The housing is located next to a county facility offering health and social services, across the street from a large private full-service shopping center, and one block from the city's main hospital. This location is a boon to residents who cannot afford or do not drive automobiles. The Tucson Community Development/Design Center, which developed and owns Viviendas Asistenciales, paid $37,600 for the property -- instead of the $400,000 at which the land was valued -- because Pima County offered the land via a public process to any developer who would agree to provide 30 units of fully subsidized elderly and handicapped housing for 40 years, and who offered to return title of the property to Pima County at the end of that period. Although it is not strictly family housing, Viviendas illustrates two important points: 1) that economical and attractive design can be climatically appropriate, and 2) that elderly and disabled people can enjoy the opportunity to create a larger "family" within their housing complex.