Boise Buys Mobile Home Park To Preserve Affordable Housing

To prevent low-income residents from being displaced by redevelopment, the Boise City Council is buying a manufactured home park, reports Margaret Carmel. City Council member Holli Woodings called the move an "immediate affordable housing project" that protects low-income households without building additional units. "It currently produces revenue in the way of rents from folks who already live there and it prevents dozens of people from immediate homelessness if this piece of property falls into private hands," said Woodings.

"The property will be purchased for $3.25 million from the Betts Family Trust." The lone dissenter on the council, Luci Willits, opposes the purchase on the grounds that it makes the city a landlord, but the article notes that Boise already owns and operates over 200 units of affordable housing. Willits also pointed out that buying the property removes it from the tax rolls, reducing property tax revenue. "This type of property tax shift does happen when certain properties are not taxed or have a cap on how much their bill can be, but it takes a large change to make noticeable impacts on Boise’s residential property taxpayers."

"City Council Member Patrick Bageant noted this in his comments in support of the purchase and called on the Idaho Legislature to make changes to the property tax formula to bring relief," adding that the city should also revise its zoning code to enable more housing construction.