The Good Samaritan Home in Boise celebrated their 75th anniversary Friday. The low-income housing model works so well that the mayor is taking note.
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said affordable housing is a tough issue for any city at the Good Samaritan Home renovation ribbon cutting. He provided an update for the small crowd on a model they're working on to follow their suit. The city is now focused on providing low-income housing options first then getting to the root of what exactly it is that's holding individuals back.
"These issues are getting better in the city of Boise," Bieter says.
Upon the anniversary milestone for the Good Samaritan Home, now all rooms are ADA compliant.
A number of former military veterans are residents at the home.
"I spend five months in Korea," says Paul Cotner, who is also a retired minister.
"When you're at risk and you're sleeping on a coach... you don't know if you're going to be on a coach tonight or you're going to be on the street tomorrow," says Nick Jerns, the Good Samaritan Home board president. "You don't have a feeling of a social network."
Now paying rent based on a sliding fee scale, at age 86 Cotner has more peace of mind.
"I was having to pay $3,000 a month and we were going broke," Cotner says. "So, after completing a year there I heard about this place, put my application in and I'm very happy."
