2020 Year-In-Review

Despite the many challenges 2020 brought, LEAP continued to grow and expand its operations while continuing to accomplish its mission. While LEAP had just one program in 2016, we were able to add two programs to our organization in 2020, the LEAP Housing Trust and a Resident Services program. Here’s a look at our highlights of the past year, none of it possible without the support of our community:

LEAP ROC: Buddy Dancer Homeowners Cooperative, a 56 unit manufactured housing community in Garden City created a cooperative business model and borrowed money from partner ROC USA Capital to buy their community with the assistance of our LEAP ROC program to become the second Resident Owned Community in Idaho. Learn more about LEAP ROC here.

Welcome Housing: All three of our Welcome Housing condos are occupied! Due to the decrease of resettlement in the past year, we transitioned to a longer term rental housing option for families that are already in Boise and needing an affordable rental home.

Resident Services: In May of 2020, we established a Resident Services program! This program is designed to address the various and unique barriers that residents may encounter when pursuing sustainable housing. Resident Services is currently in the process of creating and developing supportive resources and tools for residents to utilize. These services are intentionally designed to increase housing stability, promote self-sufficiency, and enhance the overall quality of life for the resident.

Caritas Commons: Our 14-unit homeownership community has hit the ground running and construction is taking place! We anticipate that the first phase of Caritas will be completed in early 2021. Caritas will provide the first homes for homeownership available in Boise under the LEAP Housing Trust, which will keep the homes perpetually affordable. If you or anyone you know are interested in purchasing an affordable home, visit our website!

The Aries duplex: This affordable housing duplex in Nampa is near completion! We are excited to get two more families housed by the end of January.

Windy Court phase 2 is complete! In May we completed the second phase of Windy Court and were able to house four more families. LEAP is now housing over 50 residents in our 11 rental homes.

Avenues for Hope: 2020 ended on a great note, culminating in the very successful Avenues for Hope campaign. Our tremendous donors and supporters willed us to first place in the competition with over $350,000 raised in the month of December. LEAP will enter 2021 with a healthy amount of funds, allowing us to continue building homes in Q1.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who donated or shared our campaign with your friends and family!