BOISE BENCH, Idaho — Five years ago, apartments on the Boise Bench cost about $950 a month, according to renters. Now, rent has increased nearly 60%, forcing residents to make difficult choices to afford their homes.
Jesse Alexander-Stern has lived in a market apartment on the Bench for six years and said her rent has increased from $950 a month to around $1,500 a month, a 57% increase since she first moved in.
"The paper that was on my door said it was a 20% increase, and when I looked at the amount, did the math, I was in tears," Alexander-Stern said.
Alexander-Stern now faces a difficult decision about her housing future.
"I'm at the point where I don't want to be in subsidized housing. I'm very independent, but it's gotten to the point where every family is gonna be like me," Alexander-Stern said.
WATCH: How a Boise Bench renter is navigating her higher housing costs
The City of Boise said there's no single factor behind these rent spikes. The Mayor's Housing Advisor, Kiah Jones, points to broader economic forces.
"Many macroeconomic forces that impact how much your rent actually costs today, the cost of the labor, the cost of the interest rates, things that aren't necessarily within the city's control," Jones said.
City leaders say they're working on solutions by adding more affordable housing. Wilson Station added 102 new units off of State Street, and this month the city will break ground on 200 new units at Dorado Station on Fairview.
The city is also partnering with nonprofits to connect residents with help.
"Call Jesse Tree's Tenant Resource Center, call CATCH’s housing crisis hotline so you can get connected to the resources that you need," Jones said.
But Jesse Tree's Executive Director, Evan Stewart, said demand far exceeds what they can provide.
"So on average we're receiving anywhere between 2,000 to 2,500 calls per month and we're able to help about close to 100 families each month," Stewart said. “Jesse Tree is only able to help about 30% of the demand for our services, so the volume is quite high and we do the best we can but on average it's about $2000.”
Stewart says funding is also a struggle.
"We have seen cuts over time through the city, but overall I know the city does the best they can to support us," Stewart said.
Alexander-Stern turned to the program, but said it wasn't enough for long-term stability.
"That helps me for one month. That doesn't help me keep a stable home for my daughter who is in middle school right now," Alexander-Stern said.
She's had to get creative to make ends meet.
"Well, I've donated plasma to make up extra money. I worked three jobs in 2020 when my work hours were cut. I do everything I can because I'm very scrappy," Alexander-Stern said. "Like, what can families like me do? That's my big question.”
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