HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-26 Neighborhood Works / V
Neighboiffirks°
BOISE
June 26, 2024
City of Meridian
Planning Division
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
Re: Letter of Support for Centrepoint Apartments, Meridian
Dear Planning Staff, Planning and Zoning Commissioners, Mayor and Council Members:
NeighborWorks° Boise is writing to express support for the modified proposal of Centrepoint Apartments, an
affordable housing community in Meridian, as it will provide necessary affordable and workforce housing stock
in a transit-oriented location of the city—giving more low-to moderate- income (LMI) residents, including many
who work in Meridian's service industry, a close-in, safe, and economical place to call Home, and ensuring
Meridian remains the premier community in which people of all income levels can live, work, and raise a family.
Meeting the housing needs of thousands of Boise MSA residents over the past 42 years, NeighborWorks' Boise
(NWB) is an established affordable housing nonprofit that offers LMI residents in our community a
comprehensive network of housing solutions—including 282 Affordable Rental Apartments in Boise and Nampa;
Homebuyer Education; Rental and Prepurchase Counseling; Mortgage Lending; building new and rehabbing
older homes; a housing trust; a homeshare program; as well as our community revitalization events, Paint The
Town'" and Rake Up Boise'"". NWB has a successful partnership with the City of Meridian,offering necessary
home repairs for LMI Meridian households that improve existing housing stock— making residents safer and
more economically sustainable.As the CEO of NWB, l have also had the privilege of being included in a working
group for the updated City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
Over the past four years, Meridian's population has grown by over 25,000 people—the largest growth in the
state—and conservative figures project the population will continue to increase to 160,000 people by 2040
(COMPASS Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho. Population Estimates, Meridian. 2020-2024)
(Evolving Community Comprehensive Plan: Chapter 3. City of Meridian. Accessed 6/25/2024).This has created a
great need for more housing, especially units that are affordable. As of year-end 2023,Jesse Tree, the local
nonprofit that provides emergency rental assistance, "[was receiving] approximately 70 applications a month
from Meridian residents for rental assistance, up from the 20-40 applications in 2022" (Kidd, Sydney. Meridian
Housing Grant Used to Keep 95 Families in Homes. BoiseDev. 12/5/2023). According to a Boise State University
study that was presented to the Meridian City Council in 2023, "Meridian does not have enough housing to
meet the need, leading to cost-burdened families and children." The study also showed that"many [people who
work in Meridian] don't live in Meridian, and that families concentrated around Meridian schools are often living
in overcrowded homes." The study's solution: "allow more multi-family projects to be built, [including] along
high traffic areas." (Spacek, Rachel. Who Can Even Afford to Live in Meridian?Families are in Overcrowded
Homes, Study Shows. Idaho Statesman. Updated 5/11/2023).
ESTABLISHED 1982
HeighboM r6- Ck at (208) 343-4065 1 NWBOISE.ORG
EOPPOR MITT 3380 W. AMERICANATERRACE, STE 120 BOISE ID83706
CHARTERED MEMBER OPPORTUN3TY
/ V / V
NeighborWorkso
BOISE
NWB understands the value that affordable housing offers to both individual households and the overall
community. Home greatly influences and affects nearly every major facet of our lives including health,
education, success, public safety, and the local economy. Homeowners or those living in stable homes tend to:
• Generally be healthier and happier—as well as their children
• Experience better educational outcomes
• Are more involved in their communities
• Experience lower crime rates (Evangelou, Nadia. Highlights from Social Benefits of Homeownership and
Stable Housing. National Association of Realtors®. 10/24/2017)
Centrepoint Apartments would alleviate some of the great need for affordable housing in Meridian, offering 295
units of transit-oriented affordable housing—close-in to schools, employment centers, and services. The
increase in the number of affordable units within the modified proposal will give more income-limited Meridian
households the opportunity to thrive in a healthy, balanced community.
NWB is excited to see that Centrepoint's modification includes 3-bedroom units, as this will help solve the
overcrowding issue that income-limited families in the city face. We are also happy to hear that the project will
meet IHFA Green Building standards—including high-efficiency features, solar carports, and water-saving
measures—as we believe in creating efficient homes that are built to healthy standards and that will remain
sustainable over time.
NWB understands, firsthand, the challenges and opposition that new housing projects, like Centrepoint
Apartments, face in the planning phase. We have 8 developments throughout Boise and Garden City,totaling
131 lots (56 in Boise and 75 in Garden City) in various stages,from developed land to completed homes, and we
have four affordable multi-family apartment communities serving 217 households within Boise and Nampa.
Similar to Centrepoint Apartments, our Pocket NeighborhoodsT' on infill properties and multi-family
communities provide safe,decent, affordable units in neighborhoods that incorporate green spaces; help to
create a sense of community through clubhouses, recreational features, and other common areas; promote
reduced vehicle usage by being easily accessible to transit; and encourage sociability, bike-ability/walkability,
and connectivity through a network of walking paths. While many of our own developments faced challenges,
local cities chose to invest in their workforce by supporting affordable housing. We encourage Meridian to offer
this same support for Centrepoint Apartments, as it would provide 295 units of critical workforce housing.
NeighborWorks' Boise is an advocate for housing projects that provide safe, decent and affordable homes for
LMI Idahoans within close-in,transit-oriented areas. We believe that the centrally-located Centrepoint
Apartments provides an excellent solution for the City of Meridian's need for more affordable multi-family
housing, so residents of all income levels can thrive in this premier community. We are encouraged by this
modified proposal, and look forward to seeing the completed affordable housing community in the near future.
Sincerely,
Buddy L. Compher,Jr., CEO
NeighborWorks® Boise
NelghborW rks® 2 ESTABLISHED 1982
(208) 343-4065 1 NWBOISE.ORC
EQUALKOUSING CHARTERED MEMBER OPPOM ITY 3380 W. AMERICANA TERRACE, STE 120, BOISE, ID83706