Boise City Council - Work Session

At the Boise City Council work session on October 7, 2026, the council received a federal policy and funding update from the city’s federal affairs team, which supports Boise’s federal advocacy and grant strategy. The presenter cited recent awards to the city: a $5.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD grant, a $9 million HUD Continuum of Care grant, a $6 million HUD PRICE grant, and a recently announced Department of Homeland Security SAFER grant for the fire department; no amount was stated for the SAFER award. The discussion also covered the 2027 federal appropriations outlook, possible community project funding requests, and new housing-related grant programs authorized by the 21st Century Road to Housing Act that still need appropriations. The act allows cities to use up to 20% of annual CDBG allocations for affordable housing and requires a public inventory of municipally owned land. No contract award or new spending authorization was voted on during the update.

The team flagged potential long-term effects of proposed 2030 census changes on Boise’s population count and formula-based federal funding, as well as risks from delayed appropriations and continuing resolutions. Council members also asked about future transportation and rail funding. Separately, the council unanimously approved a motion to enter executive session to discuss acquiring an interest in real property and to consider exempt records; no specific property, amount, or acquisition decision was identified in the transcript.