Developing Affordable and Sustainable Housing

Housing Incentives

The City of Boise is committed to promoting the development of affordable and sustainable housing. To make these projects more feasible, we offer a variety of tools and initiatives designed to support developers at every step. This includes flexible zoning requirements, dedicated planning project management, expedited plan review, and housing fee deferrals or exemptions for eligible projects.

The Housing Incentives were approved by City Council on March 10, 2026 and will go into effect on April 20, 2026.

Housing Incentives

Boise's housing incentives provide developers with more flexibility in zoning requirements in exchange for the creation of affordable or sustainable housing.

The program works like a menu or points system. Projects earn points by providing things that benefit the community, such as affordable housing, in exchange for some flexibility around the project.

Explore the interactive map below to see what incentives are available and can be applied to your project.

  1. On the map search by address or parcel number, or zoom to locate the parcel where your project will be located.
  2. Click on the parcel.
  3. The map will display the basic qualifications for this property, including if it is within a strategic infill location, and a link to view the incentive information specific to this parcel.

For more information on these incentives, please contact us.

Exterior of house with tree in foreground.

Urban Housing Incentive

The Urban Housing Incentive is designed for projects in higher-intensity and mixed-use areas of the city. It offers flexible zoning requirements in exchange for providing affordable and/or sustainable housing in locations planned for growth.

How to Earn Points

To qualify for the Urban Housing Incentive, a project must voluntarily provide community benefits through affordable housing and/or sustainable building practices.

Projects may earn up to 5 points.

TopicCommunity BenefitPoints Received
SustainabilityHousing project meets the Standards for Sustainable Community Benefits1
Affordability

10% of all permitted housing units meet the Standards for Affordable Community Benefits

OR

20% of all permitted housing units meet the Standards for Affordable Community Benefits

2




4

How to Redeem Points

Once points are earned, work with the planning team to redeem selected zoning flexibilities menu below. Each flexibility has a point value, and as the developer, you select the options that best support your design and development goals up to the amount of points earned.

TopicEarned IncentivePoints Needed
Allowed Uses and Zone-Specific Standards 
Active Use ReductionUp to a 25% reduction in the percent of ground floor street frontage required to be occupied by active uses.1
Residential Uses

Permit residential uses that are designated as "I" on the Table of Allowed Uses. Single-family detached dwelling uses are only permitted in the R-2, R-3, and MX-1 zones.

2

Building Height Reduction (Zone-Specific Standard)

The project may provide one-story below the minimum building height required by the zone-specific standards.

2

Dimensional Standards

 

Building Height

Exceed the maximum building height by up to 10% of the base zoning district's maximum height. Compliance with height limitations as part of Neighborhood Transition Standards and Residential Small Lot Standards are required.

1

Lot Size

The minimum lot size and average lot width specified by the zoning district does not apply.

1

Reduced Rear Setback for Parking Structures

Allow a reduced rear setback of 5 feet for detached, fully enclosed parking structures with a maximum building height of 14 feet.

2

Parking

 

Vehicle Parking Reduction

Up to a 50% reduction in total required off-street vehicle parking spaces. Up to a 100% reduction for housing projects located within the MX-4 zoning district.

1 

 Vehicle Parking Maximum

Exceed the maximum required off-street vehicle parking spaces.

1

Bicycle Parking Reduction

Up to a 50% reduction of required long-term bicycle parking spaces for multiple-family dwelling uses.

1

Off-Street Parking (Zone-Specific Standards)

The project may provide more off-street vehicle parking spaces than permitted by the zone-specific standards and/or may permit a surface parking lot.

1

Minor Land Division

 

Minor Land Division

Create up to four buildable parcels without being subject to the procedures of a preliminary and final plat.

2

Neighborhood Housing Incentive

The Neighborhood Housing Incentive is designed for development in residential neighborhoods. It offers flexible zoning requirements in exchange for providing affordable and sustainable housing that integrates into existing neighborhoods. Properties located in designated Strategic Infill locations may qualify for additional flexibility through a location-based bonus. Strategic Neighborhood Infill Locations are parcels in the R-1B and R-1C zoning districts that are located adjacent to or entirely within 300 feet of a collector or arterial roadway or located entirely within one-quarter mile of MX-3 or MX-4 zoned property.

How to Earn Points

To qualify for the Neighborhood Housing Incentive, a project must voluntarily provide community benefits through affordable housing and/or sustainable building practices.

Projects may earn up to 6 points.

TopicCommunity BenefitPoints Received
SustainabilityHousing project complies with the Standards for Sustainable Community Benefits (for both General and Strategic Infill Locations)2
Affordability

For General Locations - 25% of all permitted units comply with the Standards for Affordable Community Benefits

4

Affordability

Strategic Infill Locations Bonus! - 12% of all permitted units comply with the Standards for Affordable Community Benefits

4

How to Redeem Points

Once points are earned, work with the planning team to redeem selected zoning flexibilities menu below. Each flexibility has a point value, and as the developer, you select the options that best support your design and development goals up to the amount of points earned.

TopicEarned IncentivePoints Needed
Housing Type 
Housing TypePermit up to four housing units on a single lot in any combination of residential uses (including those permitted only through incentives), regardless of the base density allowed by the zoning district.1
Multiple-Family Bonus

All Locations: Permit five or more units on a single lot, where the project meets the base zoning district density.

Strategic Infill Locations Only: Permit five to twelve housing units on a single lot in any combination of residential uses (including those permitted only through incentives), regardless of the base density allowed by the zoning district.

3


3

Dimensional Standards

 

Reduced Rear Setback

Allow a reduced rear setback of 5 feet for detached, fully enclosed parking structures with a maximum building height of 14 feet.

2

Minimum Lot Size

All Locations: The minimum lot size of the zoning district may be reduced for up to four lots by 20% regardless of the underlying density limits.

Strategic Infill Locations Only: The minimum lot size of the zoning district may be reduced for five to twelve lots by 20% regardless of the underlying density limits.

3



3

Development Standards

 

Sidewalk

Retain the existing 5-foot attached sidewalk on all road types only when an adequate setback and easement for the construction of a future detached sidewalk is provided.

3

Parking

 

Vehicle Parking Reduction

All locations: Up to 25% reduction in the total required off-street parking spaces.

Strategic Infill Locations Only: Up to 50% reduction in minimum required off-street parking spaces.

1



1 

 Vehicle Parking Maximum

Exceed the maximum of the total required off-street parking spaces.

1

Bicycle Parking Reduction

Up to a 50% reduction of required long-term bicycle parking spaces for multiple-family dwelling uses.

1

Minor Land Division

 

Minor Land Division

Create up to four buildable parcels without being subject to the procedures of a preliminary and final plat.

3

Community Benefits

Projects earn incentive points by meeting the city's defined Sustainable and/or Affordable Community Benefit standards. These standards ensure that projects receiving zoning flexibility deliver long-term value to the community.

Standards for Sustainable Community Benefit

All projects earning incentive points by providing the sustainable community benefit will provide clean energy, energy conservation, water conservation, landfill waste diversion, and electric vehicle charging.

Full details can be found in Section 11-04-03.7.B(2) of the Zoning Code.

Standards for Affordable Community Benefit

All projects will be deed restricted using the City's Affordability Covenant for a period of 50 years. Household income must be calculated using the City's Income Calculation Guide. Also refer to the current income guidelines.

Rental Projects: 

  • Tenants must have a household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
  • The monthly rent of a unit cannot exceed the max rent in the table below, based on the unit's size.
  • Income levels are updated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development each year, on or around June 1st. The rent table below will be updated on a similar timeline.
Number of Bedrooms in the UnitMaximum Monthly Rent
0/Studio$1,300
1$1,534
2$1,838
3$2,311
4$2,483
5$2,825
6$2,996

For-Sale Projects:

  • Homebuyers must have a household income below 120% of Area Median Income (AMI).
  • The unit sales price cannot exceed 95% of the median sales price in Ada County for the home type, based on the previous month's Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data.

Full details can be found in Section 11-04-03.7.B(3) of the Zoning Code.

For more information about using the Affordable Community Benefit Incentives, contact the Housing team at housingincentives@cityofboise.org.

VIEW THE Code

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