Problematic inspections for both the wheelchair lift and the elevator at the Idanha building in Downtown Boise were the last straw for the Boise City Ada County Housing Authority.
After years of tension over accessibility to the historic building that now houses low-income apartments, BCACHA terminated its contract with building owner Parklane Property Management in August and moved 13 remaining tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers out of the building. Public records obtained by BoiseDev show this termination came after months of demands to repair the building’s elevator and withheld rental assistance payments after the elevator first failed its required five-year state inspection in March.
Accessibility for residents, and pressure for change from BCACHA at the Idanha has hit headlines in the Treasure Valley for years. Stairs are required to access the lobby of the building from outside, leaving elderly or disabled residents to rely on a wheelchair lift in order to enter the building. The interior elevator has functioned intermittently for years, which can leave residents with no way to enter or leave the building’s upper floors…