BOISE, Idaho — A new Interfaith Sanctuary shelter in Northwest Boise is nearing its opening after years of stops, starts and heated debate. The nonprofit held a ceremonial ribbon cutting this week as it prepares to move guests into the new facility once it receives final occupancy approvals from the City of Boise.
WATCH: A Boisean reflects on finding stability as Interfaith’s new shelter nears opening
For 20-year-old Boisean Shiloh Price, the project represents far more than a building.
“It takes one irrational moment… one beautiful miscalculation to become unforgettable… Icarus laughed as he fell, for he knew that he had soared,” Price read from one of his poems. He said writing is how he makes sense of a life that didn’t always give him room to land.
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“I’ve been homeless for the last two years. I’ve been staying at Interfaith for roughly 18 months,” Price said.
Price arrived at Interfaith after aging out of juvenile detention and spending some time incarcerated, with no place to go.
“My parents actually picked me up from jail and drove me to a homeless shelter the same day I got out,” he said.
He said Interfaith became more than a temporary shelter.
“Before I came to Interfaith, I had no foundation to start off on. So they were able to give me a platform to get me steady,” Price said.
Through Interfaith’s mental health program, Project Wellbeing, Pierce found routine, accountability and purpose. He is now a college student and preparing to leave Interfaith for more permanent housing.
Interfaith leaders, partners and supporters gathered for a ribbon cutting this week to mark the completion of a project five years in the making. The new State Street shelter replaces Interfaith’s former River Street facility and includes family rooms, dorm-style beds, expanded case management and spaces for health, housing and mental health services.
“It feels great… just being able to let so many people walk into the space and see what they’ve only heard about… it really helps to tell the real story,” said Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jodi Sitgers.
Interfaith is awaiting its final occupancy approvals before opening the shelter to guests. Sitgers said the new design allows people to remain in the space throughout the day, rather than navigating services in fragmented pieces across the city.
“When you start to eliminate those struggles… I do believe healing will come faster,” she said.
For Price, that healing looks like possibility – and a future he once couldn’t picture.
“It’s been a very long, difficult journey… but I think we’ve gotten there,” he said.
Interfaith Sanctuary expects to open the shelter once occupancy is granted and is aiming for early this year.
