Sycamore Commons celebrates opening of 53 affordable apartments in Boise

At 76 years old, Mary Anne DeLapp is a mom to two sons and an avid walker and kayaker. Being a military wife for 24 years, she learned to love exploring the world, but having experienced the high cost of living in Washington state, she knew it was time to make a change. She decided to make the drive to Boise and quickly fell in love with the state’s beauty and friendly people.

While she was on her trip, she met some friends of a friend for dinner, who happened to live close to Sycamore Commons, Boise’s newest affordable housing community. They helped her connect with Annie Trulinger, community business manager there, and after some back and forth, DeLapp decided to apply for a space in the new building.

“I’m so very excited and grateful to be accepted as a resident,” DeLapp explained.

She plans to move into her new space in July, driving a one-bedroom U-Haul truck from Poulsbo, Washington, to Boise. For her, this life-changing move gives her the ability to stop working, and she won’t need to worry so much about the rising cost of living.

A repurposed vacant nursing facility

Sycamore Commons originated from an empty skilled nursing property that was shuttered during the pandemic. LEAP Housing CEO Bart Cochran shared that the space caught the attention of strategic investor Michelle Larson, who encouraged the LEAP team to inquire about it. Research revealed that the owner was the Good Samaritan Society, a large national nonprofit affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. According to a recent press release, the organization operated a skilled nursing facility there for more than five decades before closing its doors.

“A contract was negotiated for a fair price, with the Good Samaritan Society contributing equipment and, crucially, providing a long contract and seller financing,” Cochran said. “This support was vital for securing the complex financing required for the project.”

The property went under contract in March 2024, closed in January 2025, and on June 2 of this year, an official ribbon cutting ceremony for phase one of the project was completed on site at 3115 N Sycamore Drive. Sycamore Commons features 53 new studio and one-bedroom apartments in the heart of Boise Collister community.

Directly adjacent to the community is Collister Shopping Center and immediate bus line access, and ample bike storage options are available for residents. Amenities at the property include a large community space, laundry facilities, a library, computer lab and more.

Ben Rees, development coordinator for LEAP Housing, said that phase two of the project is expected to finalize funding this summer, with construction running through the fall of 2027. Phase two will add an additional 30 units.

The professional team working to complete construction and renovation includes CSDI for construction, CSHQA for architecture and The Land Group for civil and landscape engineering. Primary capital partners include IHFA, The Richman Group, Heritage Bank and Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corporation.

This isn’t the first time that LEAP Housing has worked with faith organizations, either. Previously, the team worked with nearby United Methodist Church – Collister to create two affordable rental units, and they are also working with King of Glory Lutheran Church to create eight more rental units. In the recent past, Nampa Christian Housing additionally sold the 64-unit, eight-story Golden Glow Tower apartment building to LEAP, so seniors with limited incomes can thrive in Nampa.

While a common theme is used by cynics to affordable housing called “not in my backyard” or NIMBY, LEAP refers to the faith community with a counter message called “Yes in God’s backyard” or YIGBY.

“The reason our YIGBY work is so important is that one of the most common things we find is that communities desperately want to solve this housing challenge, but they don’t have the technical skills to do it,” Cochran said. “And there’s no better example than faith communities, who are missionally already aligned with meeting the greatest needs of the community, but don’t have the technical expertise to be able to create this really complex and nuanced housing. So, we step in, we act as a bridge and are able to make the solution a reality in the community. It’s no different than the work we do with cities and counties, but the church is just such a great example of where we don’t have to convince a church that this is important work.”

Joe Bankard, the YIGBY program director at LEAP said that research shows that faith communities around the Treasure Valley hold more than 180 acres of underutilized land and because of that, there is a lot of opportunity for continued growth and development.

He expanded on the work that they are doing with faith-based institutions saying, “We share a heart and a desire to build housing for those who have been left behind by the current housing market. We believe that all Idaho residents deserve housing that provides stability, safety and dignity. In this partnership, faith communities provide the land and LEAP provides the technical expertise to both fund and build the housing project.”

With more leases being signed daily, Sycamore Commons is on its way to being full soon.

“I dream of unpacking boxes as I ‘nest’ in my brand-new home,” DeLapp said. “Retiring completely in Boise is soon to become a dream come true ― an affordable dream! I was obligated to earn extra money every month to make ends meet. I will now be free and cherish every day of that freedom. It’s exciting and I’m ready to gratefully embrace change. I will have the freedom to adventure through Idaho, to volunteer where I’m needed … and to discover something new every day.”