More housing for the chronically homeless is proposed in Boise. What we know

Further new development is headed for the Lusk District, where Boise State University and city officials plan to collaborate to build affordable housing, housing for the chronically homeless, student housing and commercial space near the university’s campus.

Here’s a rundown of what the city and university are planning for the neighborhood south of the Boise River — including a multimillion-dollar property sale.

Where could land be redeveloped?

Boise and Boise State own close to five acres sandwiched between North Ninth Street, Sherwood Street, Morrison Drive and West Island Avenue. The land includes a Boise State-owned parking lot and commercial businesses.

The Idaho State Board of Education approved an agreement on Aug. 23 that allows city officials and the university to redesign and rebuild the land close to downtown.

“Developing this project is part of BSU’s overall plan to address housing shortages for students and faculty and to locate needed services near campus,” according to a memorandum from the university. The finished project would include “housing, parking, retail, office and services uses,” according to the memo.

A city news release said the mixed-use redevelopment would be “innovative in design, environmentally sustainable, and most importantly, bring more than 300 affordable homes to our community.”

The project would be built by J. Fisher Cos.. The Utah company is also developing an apartment complex at the intersection Franklin Road and Orchard Street, of which 10% will be set aside for families experiencing homelessness.

News of the sale and development plan was first reported by BoiseDev.

How much would the project cost?

Jake Wood, director of affordable housing at J. Fisher, told the Idaho Statesman the redevelopment is expected to cost between $200 million and $300 million.

It is unclear how much the city or Boise State will invest in the project.

“This is what leadership looks like,” said Tommy Ahlquist, a developer and physician who is the co-chair of the Campaign to End Family Homelessness, an initiative that is part of Our Path Home, a public-private partnership. He spoke at a news conference on Monday. “It’s really nice to come to a place like today and to see the public sector, our nonprofits, the private sector all working together to solve a problem that’s very difficult.”

Would housing there be affordable?

Wood said the company uses a “mixed-income model” with its developments, and expects 10% of units to be rented at market rates, with the rest affordably designated.

Wood said, for his company, that means the rest of the units would be rented at 60% of area median income or lower. That’s the equivalent of $42,780 a year for a two-person household in Boise, and $37,440 for a one-person household, according to city figures.

There are expected to be at least 300 units on the property.

What properties does Boise own in the Lusk District?

Glen Kellerer, who manages the properties for Boise, told the Statesman the city owns three properties in the Lusk District: 1028 S. Lusk Street, 1020 S. Lusk St., and 1025 S. Capitol Blvd., which total 110 units, most of which are studio apartments. All of them are part of the property slated for redevelopment.

In recent years, Boise has instituted housing programs to combat homelessness and rising rents. City leaders have passed ordinances encouraging affordable housing development by offering incentives for developers, and Boise is the lead agency in Our Path Home, a public-private partnership aimed at addressing homelessness.

What’s happening to people who live there now?

For two years, the city has been working to relocate tenants in those buildings to other city-owned properties in preparation for the redevelopment project, Kellerer said. Most of the tenants have moved into a city-owned apartment building at 2717 S. Vista Ave., and about 40 units remain rented on the site that will have to be emptied.

Rents at the Lusk properties are generally between $350 to $380 a month, Kellerer said, noting that tenants will not have to pay more for a five-year period if they move into another city apartment, even if it has more expensive rent.

The city-owned properties are only available to income-eligible tenants making 80% or less of area median income. For a two-person household, that’s an annual income of $57,050. For a one-person household, that’s an income of $49,950, according to city figures.

When would they be built?

Wood said his company hopes to start construction before the end of 2024. The project is expected to take two years to build.

What would be done for homeless people?

The State Board of Education also approved an $8.1 million sale of a Boise State apartment complex to Boise, which the city plans to use for a permanent supportive housing development for families experiencing homelessness, said university Deputy General Counsel Nicole Pantera at the education board’s meeting.

The two buildings are at 860 W. Sherwood St. and are known as the University Park Apartments. They are just south of the site J. Fisher Cos. plans to redevelop. Built in 1940, they have 47 housing units and 65 parking spots, according to a university memo.

It is unclear how many families would be able to move into the apartments.

As part of the deal, the city would continue to lease the apartments to students through June 2024, after which families experiencing homelessness could move in.

Both projects are part of the city’s plan to reinvigorate the area, where the city owns over 100 housing units. The city calls its housing units there the Capitol Campus.

The property sale and agreement to pursue a joint redevelopment were on Tuesday’s Boise City Council agenda. A memo from a city attorney, Mary Grant, called the property sale the “cornerstone” of the redevelopment project.

What is permanent supportive housing?

Permanent supportive housing is a concept that provides households with help, either through rental assistance or supportive services, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The concept is designed to provide stability for people experiencing homelessness by offering housing, health care and other services, according to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

Boise and its partner agencies in the Treasure Valley already have two such housing complexes: Valor Pointe, which provides supportive housing for veterans at 4203 West State St., and New Path Community Housing, at 2200 W. Fairview Ave. Planning is underway to expand New Path by adding close to one hundred more units on land next door.