Neighborhood group keeps up fight against homeless shelter. What just happened
The contentious homeless shelter that Interfaith Sanctuary is planning on State Street was approved by the city of Boise, for a second time, in July. And for a second time, on Monday, the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association went to court to stop it.
The association has opposed the project at 4306 W. State St. since it was first announced, arguing in a case that came before the Idaho Supreme Court that the proposed 205-bed shelter could put nearby residents at risk and decrease property values. The Supreme Court ruled against the city’s approval in January, finding that the City Council erred in approving the shelter because it broke city law when it overrode the Planning and Zoning Commission’s denial.
The latest approval this summer came after a nine-hour public hearing where opponents and proponents debated public safety concerns and the need for the shelter amid growing homelessness in the downtown area.
The shelter would exist in a former Salvation Army location that abuts homes in the Veterans Park neighborhood.
After the high court’s ruling, Interfaith applied again for a permit it needed to open the shelter and continued with its construction. The City Council changed city code to allow the council to hear appeals of P&Z Commission decisions. But this time, the P&Z Commission approved it. And when the neighborhood association appealed to the City Council, the council approved it too.
Interfaith Sanctuary made a few changes to the project in the second round of permitting, such as adding operation and security plans developed with the city police and fire departments.
Still, the association hopes to get the courts to once more invalidate the Boise City Council’s approval of a permit for the shelter’s construction and declare the City Council’s actions unlawful, according to the petition for judicial review the association filed in Ada County District Court.
The city of Boise has 21 days from Monday, Dec. 8, to file its response.
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
