BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise is tackling the issue of veteran homelessness by breaking ground on what will be a new affordable housing unit.
The Valor Pointe apartment complex will be a 27-unit facility with classrooms, a fitness room and mental health counseling available on-site. Mayor Dave Bieter and other agencies spoke about how the new facility will work with Boise Veterans Affairs and other services to make sure they have access not only to shelter but to mental health services and substance abuse treatment.
"If we can keep this momentum going, we hope not just to keep it from getting overwhelming but to make progress and even, this is a big thing to say, eliminate it. That's a big goal and I'm not going to say that's around the corner," said Bieter.
Two of the units will be fully accessible for residents with disabilities. The rest will be adaptable, ensuring they can be easily modified to become accessible for occupants with disabilities or mobility challenges. Units have open floor plans and a private balcony or patio. The building will have a community lounge, computer lab, onsite laundry and a therapeutic garden as well.
“Valor Pointe is the second housing development in our city that utilizes the Housing First model, providing community members with a secure and stable place to live, along with essential services needed to help them get back on their feet,” said Bieter. “I could not be prouder and more grateful to our community partners who committed to addressing such a complex problem for our most vulnerable veterans.”
The project is primarily being funded through low-income housing tax credits. Other funding partners include Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities, the City of Boise, Micron, US Bank and other generous partners in the community.
“IHFA is excited to be a part of this community effort to provide safe and stable housing to some of our state’s veterans,” said Gerald Hunter, president of Idaho Housing and Finance Association. “This is a major step in bringing community resources together to build something we believe will help heal and restore the lives of many veterans experiencing homelessness.”
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, approximately 11% of the adult population experiencing homelessness are veterans. Ada County exceeds the national average with 14% of our population experiencing homelessness counted as veterans.
The building is located at the corner of Fargo and West State and should be complete in summer 2020.
