Home & Community 2026

The Denton Apartments feature everything today’s renters look for: a fitness center, indoor bike storage, a picnic area, a play­ground and a vibrant community room.

But what truly sets it apart is the people and the price.

“The staff are never too busy to stop and say, ‘How are you doing today?’” said Tim, one of the development’s first residents when it opened in winter 2025. “It’s a very welcoming place.”

The Denton Apartments feature something else renters seek: affordable rents.

All but two of the 193 apartments are reserved for workers who earn less than 80% of the area median income, which in Boise is about $62,000. However, most residents earn less than 60% of AMI.

Getting the apartments built in the heart of Boise while keeping them affordable took a broad partnership.

“The partnership between our firm, Hawkins Companies, the city of Boise and Idaho Housing and Finance through its various resources, but especially its Workforce Housing Fund, was a key factor that made this project possible,” said Caleb Roope, CEO of the Pacific Companies.

As part of the deal, 19 of the apartments are set aside for Boiseans exiting homeless­ness. It’s what helped Tim settle into a permanent living situation after staying at the Boise Rescue Mission.

Crystal’s path to homeownership was anything but easy, but a clear plan, steady determination and support from Idaho Housing and Finance helped turn a long-held dream into reality.

The single mother was ready to leave apartment living behind, but debt and the lack of a down payment stood in the way of her goal.

Fortunately, several Idaho Housing programs helped make homeownership possible. She began with the federal Family Self­-Sufficiency program, available to renters with Housing Choice Vouchers. The program helps participants save money while working toward personal goals.

“She set the goal of paying off her debt and she really focused on it,” said Freda, the Idaho Housing counselor who helped Crystal on her journey. “She was even working two jobs so she could pay it off sooner.”

With the down payment in hand, Crystal then used Idaho Housing’s tax-exempt loan program, which allows select buyers to lock in a lower interest rate. The lower rate left Crystal with a monthly payment she could afford.

“Crystal was so thankful for all the help she received along the way,” Freda said. “She worked so hard to achieve home­ownership. It was satisfying to watch her succeed.”

For someone in crisis, the small things most of us take for granted make a big difference.

“I think the second night I was here I took a hot bath,” Stephanie said. “It was nothing particular, but for some reason my body finally was like, ‘Oh, I’m safe,” she said.

After domestic violence upended her life, Stephanie found stability in Angel Arms, a Permanent Supportive Housing program in North Idaho. “It made a huge difference in my life,” Stephanie said.

Stephanie’s success story exemplifies the results Permanent Supportive Housing programs deliver in Idaho. The model pairs safe, affordable housing with flexible, voluntary support services for people who have experienced chronic homelessness.

Angel Arms includes 30 apartments in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Rathdrum and Wallace. Over 75 percent of clients have graduated with a stable home of their own. Advocates point to these results as evidence the model works.

A 2025 Boise State University report found Permanent Supportive Housing can significantly reduce community spending on emergency health care and jail stays. The study said New Path Community Housing in Boise’s West Downtown neighborhood cut emergency service spending by more than $11 million in its first five years.

Supporters hope to build on that success. Phase two of New Path, now under construction, will add 95 apartments.

A stretch of neatly mowed green grass where cattle once grazed has become Raymond’s personal park. It’s the reason he reached out to Idaho Housing and Finance to help him stay in the home where he’s lived for three decades.

After retiring, Raymond transformed an old pasture on the 2-acre property he bought in the mid-1990s into an open, manicured space he calls his sanctuary.

Raymond had been relying on Social Security and savings to cover his expenses. In recent years, he said, he began drawing more heavily from his IRA and needed extra income.

Without children to inherit the property, he started exploring options. His attachment to the land made moving or selling difficult choices. His solution was a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, known as a reverse mortgage, through Idaho Housing and Finance. Walking through the process, he gained an understanding of how the loan works before moving forward.

In the end, staying put mattered most.

“When you get used to a 2-acre parcel around your home, you like that space,” Raymond said. “I’m glad I went with the reverse mortgage. I’m not rich, but financially, it’s sure made me a lot more comfortable.”