The City of Boise has been awarded $1 million to heat, and potentially cool, multifamily affordable housing, addressing the pressure of rising utility costs and setting Boise apart as the first city to do so. The award comes from Bloomberg's Mayors Challenge, a competition that attracted over 600 cities worldwide.
"We know housing affordability is about more than rent," said Mayor Lauren McLean. "Families need to be able to heat and cool their homes, afford groceries for their dinner tables and gas for their cars. Winning this award puts Boise on the map and will provide meaningful savings for up to 300 new, affordable homes."
Boise has the country's largest direct-use geothermal system which currently provides heat and hot water to 100 buildings downtown. Geothermal is cleaner and less expensive than conventional electricity. Until now, accessing Boise's geothermal network has been difficult for multifamily housing developments due to regulatory and billing issues, and reaching underserved residents requires a systemwide expansion and upgrade.
Findings from a feasibility study, also funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, allowed the city to work through many of those issues and pursue a public-private partnership to pilot the expansion in an upcoming affordable housing development. Once implemented, the project will put Boise on the map as the first-ever direct use geothermal system used to heat multifamily affordable housing. The project will also explore new uses for geothermal, including using the system as a cooling source as well.
The project, expected to be built in the Lusk District and completed in 2028, has the potential to provide hundreds of Boise residents with savings up to 80% on utility costs.
Contact:
Mayor's Office Media Relations
