‘Need is great’: Project would boost housing for Boise homeless. Will city help fund it?

Five years ago, the number of apartments in Idaho dedicated to housing the community’s most chronically homeless came to a grand total of zero.

Then came New Path in 2018. It sought out the Boise residents most in need — those who had been homeless the longest, had utilized the most medical services and had the highest number of arrests— and gave them an apartment that offered supportive services and somewhere they could stay for the long term.

With 40 units now devoted to this community, New Path’s developer has proposed a significant expansion that once again would put it at the forefront of addressing local housing needs. The city of Boise will be able to decide in about a month whether to help fund it, and proponents say there is a dire need.

“Currently, an individual who is waiting for placement in a housing-first program will be waiting for years,” Susie Carroll, clinical supervisor at New Path, told the Idaho Statesman in an email. “The need is great and the wait is often devastating. Those experiencing homelessness often experience traumatic events, and their physical and mental health takes a toll.”

The project would fit nicely with the city’s ambitious goal to add 250 permanent supportive housing units by 2026. Boise Planning and Development Services Director Tim Keane outlined a plan last September in which the city would spend $88.5 million through 2026 as part of its housing investment strategy, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.

Under that plan, $46.5 million would come from the city’s general fund, with the rest coming from a combination of federal programs and philanthropy.

“Any city that’s working on (homelessness) and having any success is having success through permanent supportive housing,” Keane told City Council members. “This is the path forward.”

Boise has two such apartment buildings at the moment: the 26-unit Valor Pointe at 4203 W. State St., which provides apartments exclusively to homeless veterans, and the 40-unit New Path, at 2200 W. Fairview Ave.

These two projects tested the Boise waters to see whether a government policy known as Housing First would be supported and show results.

Used across the country, Housing First has been successful in getting the most chronically homeless members of a community off the streets by removing the barriers found with other types of programs. It does not require people to be successful in substance abuse or behavioral programs before receiving housing. Such services are offered to Housing First residents, but it is their choice whether to participate.

New Path 2 in Boise

The Boise expansion, known as New Path 2, would see a second, larger building built next to the current one. New Path 2 would have 63 studio apartments and 32 one-bedroom units. It also would contain a two-bedroom apartment for an on-site manager, a community room and offices for staff.

The site includes two parcels — 2216 W. Fairview Ave and 114 S. 23rd St — that would be merged into a 0.56-acre single lot. A 30-space garage that opens onto South 23rd Street and 97 covered bicycle parking spaces would provide a place for residents to keep transportation.

Residents also would have access to a 4,917-square-foot outdoor space with a meditation garden, raised planter gardens and a picnic area.

The tallest section of the building would be six stories, reaching a height of 70 feet, with other parts of the building standing at four stories, two stories or one story.

The project comes with a $34.8 million price tag. The developer, Eagle-based affordable housing outfit The Pacific Cos., is banking on funding through tax-exempt bonds, low-income housing tax credits from the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, and city money.

To make the project feasible, New Path 2’s developer is hoping to secure city support, but it has competition. City spokesperson Maria Weeg said two recent funding opportunities could help finance New Path. The city is seeking affordable housing projects to award $12 million in federal ARPA money. (ARPA is the American Rescue Plan Act, an economic stimulus bill passed in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.) Developers can apply for the funding through May 1. The city anticipates awarding funds to two or three projects in about a month.

The Boise City Housing Authority opened a separate bidding process in which interested developers for various projects could apply for vouchers to help cover the rent of permanent supportive housing residents. Bidding was open from March 8 to April 10, and a Housing Authority selection panel will choose the winning bids. The final selections will be announced on the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities website, according to the application.

Weeg said New Path 2 likely will receive significant consideration when it comes time to choose recipients, but the money is no guarantee.

Because funding is still up in the air, Pacific Cos. CEO Denise Carter expects it to take until early 2024 to break ground on New Path 2. The city has granted the company an entitlement, meaning the land has been approved for development, and the project has already passed the design review process.

Despite the lack of financial certainty, Carter believes the project will come together, saying city leaders have been just as eager to bring in permanent supportive housing as her company is.

“With the price of housing, the population growing, it does become challenging for people to find housing, and I think this is a necessary element in any community,” Carter said.

The city’s interest is due partly to the proposal’s potential cost-saving value. New Path saved the city $2.65 million in its first two years, according to a study by the Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University. When residents were given housing, they were significantly less likely to need medical attention, experience mental health crises or get arrested.

Terry Reilly Health Services provides on-site services for residents, including peer support, medical and health services, outpatient mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, intensive case management services and life skills education.

Carroll said the housing project rides a gap between homelessness and assisted living for individuals who have limitations, but are still able to live independently.

“In supportive housing, we provide an opportunity to build stable and supportive communities,” Carroll said. “When individuals have a feeling of community belonging, their mental wellness is optimized.”