Cole Bluff Cottages Groundbreaking

On September 14, NeighborWorks^® Boise (NWB) officially broke ground on Cole Bluff Cottages—its newest Pocket Neighborhood™.  The ceremony included Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, representatives from the offices of  Senator Crapo and Senator Risch, NWB staff, Board of Directors, and many valued partners. It was a celebration of the history of NWB's previous Pocket Neighborhoods™ and this latest one, Cole Bluff Cottages – a development at the intersection of Cole and Fairview, on the site of historic former Cole Elementary School, that will provide quality, sensibly-priced housing for 39 households.

Cole Bluff Cottages will include 39 single family homes with a variety of housing types. The site will also include 46 parking spaces with remote and connected garage parking, landscaping, community gardens, and courtyard areas. Home sizes in this development will range from 816 sq. ft. to 1,998 sq. ft., and are estimated to sell at prices starting in the low $300,000 range.

The first phase of development is set to complete 19 homes in 2022 . The remainder will be completed in 2023.

Pocket Neighborhoods ™

NWB brought Pocket Neighborhoods™ to the Treasure Valley in 2015, starting with 36 Oak. The purpose of our Pocket Neighborhoods™ is to provide high quality, affordable, sustainable, and community-focused housing in the Treasure Valley. They offer an innovative solution to higher-density housing. Affordable housing should not mean substandard housing. 

The model includes mixed affordability—with some market rate and some subsidized with grants and down payment assistance. Beyond the affordability of the purchase price, monthly costs are minimized through various energy-efficient construction methods. 

Pocket Neighborhoods™ grew out of the desire by many to move closer to where they work and play.  These single-family locations allow buyers to obtain their “American Dream” in a more compact setting within existing neighborhoods. 

See some of our Pocket Neighborhoods™ below.

Hawthorne Cottages | Boise, ID

Number of Homes: 12 on 1.55 Acre  
Sizes: from 678 - 1,500 Square Feet

Won 2020 Mayor's Choice Building Excellence Award

Flourish | Garden City, ID

Number of Homes: 20 on 1.36 Acre 

Sizes: from 1100 - 18,500 Square Feet

36 Oak| Garden City, ID

   Number of Homes: 24 Homes on 2.18 Acre
   Sizes: from 678 – 2,100 Square Feet

40th Street Cottages | Garden City, ID

Number of Homes: 15 Homes on 1.29 Acre  
Sizes: from 645 - 1,200 Square Feet

Adams Street Cottages | Garden City, ID

Number of Homes: 9 Homes on .67 Acre
Sizes: from 645 - 1,200 Square Feet

We already have 125 volunteer teams signed up to Rake Up Boise™—but we need more! 

Deadline to register a team is October 15.

Want to support Rake Up Boise™ but can't rake? 

Camryn Dugger, a Flourish Pocket Neighborhood™ homeowner, speaks at the Groundbreaking.

A Note from a NWB Homeowner

My husband and I’s journey with NeighborWorks® Boise started with our REALTOR^®, who is also my sister. We were shown a slab on concrete and even though it was just concrete it instantly felt like home. We knew it was going to be an uphill battle since we were first time home buyers and not to mention this little thing called the pandemic. Even with everything that was happening in the world, we were still able to purchase our first home with the help of a grant from NeighborWorks. 

I was asked to explain what home means to me. For me, home is a feeling of belonging, where the heart feels comfortable with all its surroundings. Home is where the rags of your life are turned into quilts, lemons become lemonade, and a few extra pounds are simply welcomed as “more of you to love."