BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise moved one steps closer Wednesday toward its goal of making sure everyone who calls Boise 'home' has a home.
The city officially opened its first affordable Housing Land Trust development, The Franklin, in the Central Bench neighborhood.
"It's really exciting," Mayor Lauren McLean said during a news conference, "and kind of tears at my heartstrings to see so many people here today."
The opening was a long time coming. Conversations about The Franklin started in 2020.
The Housing Land Trust program takes city-owned land and leases it to a private company to build housing with affordable rent. In this case, the city partnered with Salt Lake-based J. Companies.
"The Franklin is our first big, affordable project here in Boise, but the first of many," Jake Wood said.
The city claims the majority of The Franklin's roughly 200 apartments are affordable to people earning 60% or below the area median income.
Twenty units are for families exiting units. There is also a park and on-site Giraffe Laugh childcare center.
"For 89 kids whose parents are desperately seeking great places to send their kids so they can get to work, grow the economy and, most importantly, grow their lives," McLean said.
Councilmember Colin Nash got emotional as he thanked the previous council that approved the project.
"I grew up in the neighborhood of one of the largest subsidized housing developments in the state of Indiana, and it didn't look like this," he said. "I think this is a very special place that a lot of families can call home."
The Franklin is part of Boise's goal to create and preserve 2,500 affordable housing units by 2027. The city has several other Housing Land Trust projects in the works, including the Wilson Station Apartments on State and Arthur, which is set to open in early 2025.