Boise seeks to build 100s more apartments for homeless in 5 developments. Here’s why
Boiseans may be familiar with “housing first” programs, which provide housing to homeless individuals regardless of their background, sobriety or mental health status. Now, local officials are planning to establish even more of these living units in the next five years.
More than 500 people and families need these kind of living spaces in Ada County, according to a plan released by local shelter organization. The organization, Our Path Home, is now leading a charge to create the living units to meet this demand — but it’s going to take a lot of community involvement and a lot of money to make it happen.
Our Path Home, which is a partnership of governments and agencies working to end homelessness in Ada County, released its five-year Supportive Housing Plan on Thursday, which includes the construction of 250 new living units in five projects.
The “housing first” model the idea that it’s more difficult for people to have stability if they lack such basic needs as housing and food. It’s better to start with housing with the support they need to thrive, said Stephanie Day, Our Path Home’s executive director.
The model provides housing with no conditions that a person be sober or attend programming, as many other shelter programs do. It’s often aimed at the chronically homeless, who struggle to stay housed for a variety of reasons, such as addiction, and aren’t successful in a shelter-based model.
For rent, tenants typically pay 30% of their annual income, with the rest supported through housing vouchers, Day said.
Our Path Home Manager Casey Mattoon said plans to expand permanent supportive housing come after the success of New Path Community House, which houses 40 chronically homeless people on Fairview Avenue at 22nd Street in Boise. It’s the same idea but on a much larger scale.
“We have more funding resources in our homelessness network than we have ever had before,” Mattoon said. “We’re really trying to take advantage of that breadth of resources and braid them together through this project.”
Where these housing units will be located remains unclear, except for an announced expansion at New Path that will be next to the current building. Mattoon said Our Path Home has “intentions” for other sites, but they haven’t been publicly announced.
One factor that is for certain is the high price tag. Our Path Home estimates developing these new units will cost north of $64 million to develop the buildings, according to the report.
And that figure comes as local governments remain divided on funding permanent supportive housing. The Ada County Commission completely cut off its funding for New Path in July, with commissioners arguing they didn’t want to fund a program that didn’t require substance abuse treatment for services.
The Boise City Council stepped in to fund the $325,000 gap left by the county.
Exactly where the $64 million will come from is not set in stone. There are, though, a series of federal and local funds Our Path Home is seeking to access a series of federal and local funds to cover the $64 million.
Mattoon said the city has access to funds earmarked for homelessness programs in the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus plan Congress approved in March. Our Path Home will also seek funds from the State Housing Trust Fund, and it is working with the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority to set up a five-year voucher program that would assist residents with rental payments.
The city of Boise has also pledged $10 million for supportive housing, which Mattoon said could be allocated to fund supportive services at these locations.
“This plan is kind of like the first step of creating the pathway to really making sure that we use those resources in an organized and effective manner,” they said.
It’s a growing need in the Treasure Valley. Day said in a recent Boise Planning and Zoning Commission meeting that the number of homeless individuals has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as rental units have become less affordable for many Boise residents.
Deanna Watson, executive director of the Boise City and Ada County Housing Authorities, said there are two primary factors contributing to that need: rising prices of housing units combined with a low supply.
“We’re seeing the need for all kinds of affordable housing skyrocketing, while there’s a dearth of new units that are within reach to people,” Watson said. Rents are taking up a large portion of monthly incomes, she said
Despite the uncertain status of funding for the projects, Mattoon said Our Path Home expects to achieve its goal and provide permanent supportive housing for those who need it.
“We are exceedingly confident that we can achieve it,” they said.
If the program is successful, it will mean hundreds of Ada County residents will be able to retain a place to live where they were unable to before, Day said.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
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