2023 State of the City

WE ARE CREATING A CITY FOR

everyone

OUR BOISE WELCOMES

community engagement and seeks to involve everyone in the work of making our city safe and welcoming for all. In my 20s, as a Parks Commissioner, I helped plan for parks we’re building today. In my 30s, I helped write our city’s comprehensive plan – Blueprint Boise – as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner. As a member of the City Council, I wrote the ordinance to protect all Boiseans from discrimination and set our goals for clean electricity.

As mayor, I’ve carried these experiences – and the belief that Boise succeeds when we invite our residents to lead with us – to the job.  I’ve seen it time after time: Boiseans are at our best when working together. And we always manage to beat the odds.

From its earliest days, Boise has been an oasis – moving water through sagebrush deserts. Harnessing geothermal spring water. Launching businesses that became global leaders. Protecting open spaces and our wild Boise River. And most importantly, protecting – and never giving up on – the people of this city.

We are so proud of our Boise, so fierce in our defense of her, and we know it will take work to keep our oasis in the desert. An oasis that is resilient in a water-scarce climate. An oasis that overcomes steep national challenges, like housing scarcity. And an oasis that withstands perhaps the greatest challenge of all: a hostile political climate that seeks to divide us, asks us to turn against our neighbors, to undo the very bedrock of our civil society.

I am betting on Boise. I am betting on a community of people who have, generation after generation, rolled up their sleeves, worked together, and beat the odds. We will protect our oasis – a safe and welcoming Boise for everyone – if we don’t give up on her, and we don’t give up on one another.

MAYOR LAUREN MCLEAN

BOISE IS A WELCOMING CITY.

We celebrate people of all cultures and backgrounds because we recognize the importance of their contributions to our community.

BOISE IS A RESILIENT CITY.

Our people choose to see the best in others and create a system of support to sustain us through challenging times.

BOISE IS A CITY FOR EVERYONE.

We value innovation, forward thinking, and passion. We are willing to dig in and do the hard work to move this city forward the Boise way.

We see it in our schools, in our workplaces and in our neighborhoods. Boise is a special place because of each and every person who calls this place home. Our future is bright because of you.

We are creating homes for everyone.

HOUSING

45 families moved into new affordable homes downtown in 2022.

200 families will soon move into affordable homes under construction now.

900 families can look forward to moving into affordable homes in the next four years.

302 Boiseans, including 121 families with children experiencing homelessness moved into a home this past year. The City of Boise is proud to serve as the lead agency for Our Path Home, a partnership with CATCH, the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities, the Veterans Administration, El-Ada Community Action Partnership, and others, working to end homelessness in Ada County.

We reached 150,822 Boiseans with information about the Modern Zoning Code over the past three years.

2020

VALOR POINTE

This 27-home apartment complex offers health care, mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment to our community’s most vulnerable veterans.

2021

THE FRANKLIN

Broke ground on a 205-home apartment complex for working families next to Franklin Park. Opening Fall 2023.

2022

STATE AND ARTHUR

Broke ground on a 91-affordable home apartment complex. Opening in 2026.

THOMAS LOGAN APARTMENTS

Opened 45 affordable homes at 6th and Grove.

Invested $2M to keep unhoused families off the street. Planning 50 new permanent homes with supportive services next to Downtown Fire Station 5.

SAGE MOBILE HOME PARK

Purchased Sage

Mobile Home Park, on the Boise Bench, to preserve 23 existing affordable homes in our community.

2023

THE MARTHA

Opened a 48-home mixed-income community. City of Boise Green Building Certification and LEED Silver Certification.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION/ RECENTLY COMPLETED

5 PROJECTS:

231 homes (The Franklin, Workland Subdivision, Cole Bluff Cottages, Celebration Acres, Stewart Ave)

APPROVED BY PLANNING AND ZONING

1 PROJECT: 91 homes State and Arthur

PREDEVELOPMENT

3 PROJECTS:

346 homes (Denton, New Path 2.0, Fire Station 5)

DUE DILIGENCE

2 PROJECTS:

440 homes (McKinney + Eldorado, Capitol Campus)

We are on target to meet our goal of producing 1,250 affordable homes by 2026, and creating 250 homes for people exiting homelessness via Permanent Supportive Housing projects.

We are investing in our city and our residents.

$1.2 million back in the hands of our most vulnerable, low-income residents through our Property Tax Rebate Program.

We know that property taxes have a real impact on our residents, which is why we take every available opportunity to get money back into the hands of Boiseans. The Property Tax Rebate Program is a first, important step to providing financial relief to some of our residents, and I look forward to working to expand the program to more residents.”

—Mayor Lauren McLean

Provided $36.4 million in emergency rental assistance, keeping 8,448 residents and families in their homes.

In 2022, nearly $2 million went directly to 1,220 childcare workers who were working in Boise child care facilities during the pandemic, representing well over 90% of all eligible providers in the city. The Mayor’s Office cut red tape by streamlining childcare facility and licensing times and reducing costs by $120 per license.

Awarded City of Good

$1.5 million to increase access to fresh, local food to Boiseans, regardless of socio-economic status, and support our local farmers and food producers.

We are increasing access to mental health services by distributing $2.47 million to create programs and expand capacity to reach underserved and uninsured people in our city.

Job Growth Up 8%

Distributed $1.92 million to 480 small, local businesses.

MICRON

Micron chose Boise for its expansion and is investing $15 billion over 10 years in a new Idaho fabrication plant, the first of its kind in the United States in 20 years.

BLACK MARKET GELATO AND SORBET

Black Market Gelato chose Boise to build their production hub and is expected to have over a $4 million investment in the next three years.

I am grateful for the support provided by the City of Boise through this grant. The grant will enable us to grow our business, serve our customers better and make a positive contribution to the community. We will continue to work hard to make the most of this opportunity and make a positive impact on the community.”

We are in the process of opening a new spot for the production of chorizos. This grant will help us hire another person to work there and to help out at the restaurant.”

—Dan Ansotegui,

—Anna Maria Terzic, Anna’s Bath Treats

Ansots

This grant will pay for 80% of this year’s insurance and liability ($5,000 for 2023) and I’m over-the-moon grateful!!”

—Michelle Keener, Feeling Groovy Tours

We are creating a safe and welcoming city for everyone.

Of the 122,000 calls BPD was involved in during 2022, 99.95% were resolved without any use of force.

Lowest property crime rate in 22 years. Violent Crimes are decreasing.

IN 2022, OUR INVESTMENTS SAVED LIVES

MEDICAL KITS CPR NARCAN MENTAL HEALTH

Officers used an estimated 50 medical kits in emergencies. Officers performed CPR at least twice.

Officers deployed 22 Narcan units.

Behavioral Heath Response Team conducted 965 follow-up calls.

Invested an additional $14.5 million in training, equipment, and officers since 2020.

DID YOU KNOW OFFICER TRAINING

Officers receive training on Crisis Intervention, De-Escalation, Human and Civil Rights and Implicit Bias.

BODY-WORN CAMERAS

All uniformed officers wear body-cameras. Officers record all investigative enforcement contacts, prisoner transports, persons complaining of officer conduct, or when a contact is anticipated to be confrontational in nature, unless an articulated reason justifies otherwise. Video is reviewed on all complaints and use of force reports.

LIASON OFFICERS

BPD has 5 liaison officers to help reach and serve traditionally underrepresented communities.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM

BPD recently doubled its Behavioral Health Response Team – getting help for those in mental health crisis.

Increased firefighters’ salaries by 16% over the next two years.

WILDFIRE DIVISION

Over the course of the 2022 wildfire season, we sent 37 personnel across 5 states; Montana, Arizona, California, Utah and Idaho. Our members contributed over 6,000 hours of work to fight wildfires across the West. The revenue generated from these deployments funds our education and training program, local fire mitigation projects, wildfire preparedness and public awareness programs. This year, funds generated will also be used for the purchase of a new Type 5/6 Brush Truck.

100% of city owned parks & open spaces in Boise are protected from development forever.

We are creating a clean and healthy city for everyone.

Purchased 1-acre off N. Shamrock Street offering nearly 2,600 residents access to open space within a 10-minute walk from their homes.

Ann Morrison Park New Fountain. Julia Davis Park refresh.

Pine Grove Park opens May 2023.

New Ridge to River Trails at Hawkins Range Reserve.

Two proposed Ridge to River Trail projects will make the Boise Foothills more accessible for all.

Molenaar Splash Pad and Skatepark opens Spring 2023.

New accessible playground and outdoor gym at Franklin Park.

NEWLY PROTECTED PARKS PREVIOUSLY PROTECTED PARKS

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE PARKS

Boise now offers 15 playgrounds with accessible and inclusive equipment including the newest, Franklin Park on the Boise Bench, with two more in the works: Pine Grove Park and Primrose Park. Created a communications board in Bowden Park for non-verbal children to enjoy inclusive play.

10-MINUTE WALK TO A PARK

More than 155,000 Boiseans enjoy a 10-minute walk to a park or open space. With planned park openings, nearly 70% of residents will have access to a park or green space within 10 minutes of their home, bringing us closer to our goal of every Boisean living within a 10-minute walk to a park.

Planted 15,200+ urban trees since 2020.

Alongside project partners, we’ve also planted 149,000 forest seedlings to date (on track to hit the Elaine Clegg City of Trees Challenge’s goal of planting 235,000 by 2024) removing 39.8 million pounds of carbon over the next 50 years.

Every year we offset 8,000 tons of CO2 using geothermal heat.

Projects like the one at Loggers Creek will restore side channels, lower river temperatures, and increase and preserve fish habitats that support spawning.

RECYCLED WATER PILOT

Our Recycled Water Pilot tests the technology we will use to purify and reuse water in Boise. The site will be open to the public for tours this spring.

The City of Boise’s emissions are down 18% since 2020.

Every Year, we...

Compost 30,834 tons of organic waste.

Recycle 3,800 tons of glass.

Recycle 2,500 tons of demolition waste.

Divert 42% of our total waste from landfills.

We are creating movement for everyone.

PASSENGER RAIL CONNECTS LOCAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES

4.4 million people live between Caldwell and Salt Lake City. Connecting these two major metros means connecting families and opportunities for education, healthcare, recreation, commerce and more with additional affordable transportation alternatives.

VALLEY REGIONAL TRANSIT

Together with Valley Regional Transit, we won an $8.5M grant to improve bus stations on State Street and make existing bicycle and pedestrian pathways that connect to transit accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

ADA COUNTY HIGHWAY DISTRICT

Working together with Ada County Highway District on Vision Zero, recommended key actions the city will take to reduce bicycle and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries on our streets.

City Council endorsed a “Safe Systems” approach to reducing fatal and serious injury crashes in Boise by 50% by 2032.

PATHWAYS

We are building a robust system of off-street walking and biking pathways to safely connect our city and allow people to get around without relying on a vehicle. The Boise’s Pathways Master Plan outlines 112 miles of new pathways across the City of Boise.

• Advancing design on key pathway projects: Cassia/Garden, Goddard Linear Park & Pathway (Parks)

• 6 pathway easements approved through the development process in 2022

• 2 additional projects in the queue for 2023

We are creating a city for everyone.