St. Luke’s McCall Foundation purchases additional property for workforce housing

The St. Luke’s McCall Foundation purchased property in McCall to develop workforce housing for St. Luke’s McCall employees.

The property is 4.88 acres and was purchased from the McCall Donnelly School District. It is located along Mission Street and is adjacent to the property the School District is developing for workforce housing for teachers and staff. The purchase price was $965,000.

The property is zoned R8, allowing 8 dwellings per acre. There is potential for 39 housing units. Initial project scope is proposed to include a mix of townhomes, duplexes, and single-family homes. The site has been approved for sewer permits from Payette Lakes Water and Sewer District.

Affordable workforce housing has been identified as a critical need of St. Luke’s McCall, which is becoming increasingly scarce in the region. St. Luke’s McCall currently has approximately 30 open, unfilled positions.

The St. Luke’s McCall Foundation wanted to be a part of the solution in addressing the hospital’s workforce housing need, as its role is to support the improvement of health care services, which depend on the employees who deliver them.

“Investing in the development of housing is a meaningful way that we can ensure that St. Luke’s employees will have an affordable place to live and call home in McCall for many years to come,” St. Luke’s McCall Foundation Board Member Verna Vanis said.

Initially, a purchase and sale agreement was entered in summer 2023, but feasibility reviews were allowed, including one by the Federal Aviation Administration on potential structure elevations, with the property being near the McCall airport. Approval from the FAA was received the end of January, allowing the Foundation and School District to finalize and close the sale on the property on Feb. 9.

The McCall Memorial Hospital District and the Foundation have formed a partnership to explore collaborating on developing the property.

The two organizations have entered a Memorandum of Understanding that provides a meaningful and legal path to collaborate on workforce housing.

"Attracting and retaining quality staff is essential in providing quality health care for our community," McCall Memorial Hospital District Board Chair Andy Laidlaw said. "The Hospital District plays an ancillary role in improving health care in our region. A creative partnership with the St. Luke's McCall Foundation to help alleviate this persistent issue is a worthwhile investment."

Financing for the building project, how costs will be allocated and a timeline to begin construction has not yet been determined.

"We are grateful the Foundation made the decision to purchase this property. It marks a significant stride towards addressing our workforce housing challenges,” Green said.