What We’ve Been Up To This Year
Blaine County School District Units
In 2022 we received our second generous million-dollar match from Jeanne Herberger. Jeanne matched 50 cents for every $1 donated, and with your help, this summer we were able to close out the match by reaching our $3 million goal. The money raised has already been put to work. In June we broke ground on the first five of eight total units for Blaine County School District employees. The two-story townhome building with four three-bedroom units and a one-story detached studio will be located at 128 West Bullion Street and should be move-in ready by the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The next phase of School District housing doesn’t yet have a build date; however, the next three units will be on Croy Street near Atkinsons’ Market and on Roberta McKercher Boulevard near Wood River Middle School. Thank you to Jeanne Herberger and our community for your generous support and for helping us to provide affordable housing to school district employees.
31st Annual Paint-a-Thon
Zions Bank’s 31st Annual Paint-a-Thon came to Hailey in June. As part of their annual program, an ARCH unit was nominated and chosen as one of the lucky houses to receive a facelift this year. Throughout the week nearly 20 volunteers, including Zions Bank employees and their families, helped revitalize the unit’s fence and freshen up its landscaping. The workforce housing unit, which was donated to ARCH in 2015, has enabled multiple community families to get their feet on the ground and plant roots in the Wood River Valley. It was an honor to be chosen by Zions Bank and see so many members of the community come out and help.
St. Luke’s Wood River Partnership
This first-of-its-kind partnership between ARCH, St. Luke’s Health System, and St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation has been a big success. The 4-plex in Bellevue is nearing completion and the construction of the 4-plex in Hailey is moving along quickly. We are excited to be able to support St. Luke’s hospital employees by making this partnership come to life and providing desperately needed affordable housing to our amazing hospital staff. We hope that this project will serve as a nationwide blueprint for creating affordable housing for hospital employees.
New Grant From D.L. Evans
In early June ARCH was fortunate to have been awarded an operations grant of $45,000 from D.L. Evans and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. This grant will provide valuable support to our organization and allow us to continue making an impact in our community.
A New Million Dollar Match
Our second annual Raise the Roof event on July 6th was a huge success. We received another generous million-dollar match from Jeanne Herberger—her third such match in as many years. The funds raised will help us provide housing units to City of Bellevue employees and other critical workers. When completed, The City of Bellevue employee housing development will consist of three total units; a duplex, as well as a log cabin, which has already been moved onto the property. Because of the lack of affordable housing in Bellevue, it has been difficult for the city to fill vacant positions. We hope with the completion of this development the City of Bellevue will be able to fill these much-needed roles.
