St. Luke’s McCall’s workforce housing project receives McCall Planning and Zoning approval

The City of McCall Planning and Zoning commissioners unanimously approved the St. Luke’s McCall Foundation workforce housing project at their Jan. 7 meeting.

This is the first step in the approval process. The application is expected to be presented to the City of McCall for final approval later this winter.

In 2024, the St. Luke’s McCall Foundation purchased 4.88 acres along Mission Street in McCall from the McCall Donnelly School District. Plans for the project include building 38 townhomes grouped in fourplexes and triplexes, which will be a mix of two- and three-bedroom units.

The homes will be available for St. Luke’s McCall employees to rent at an affordable rate. The current intention is to structure the rent such that the tenants will pay no more than 30% of their household income to support housing expenses, including rent and utilities.

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

According to data from Mountain Central Association of Realtors, the median sale prices of a home in McCall in 2024 was $865,000. When including all of Valley County and New Meadows, the price was $748,000. Rentals with two or more bedrooms are more than $2,000 per month and are often only available seasonally.

“We regularly have quality candidates apply and accept job offers,” St. Luke’s McCall Chief Operating and Nursing Chief Officer Amber Green said. “After looking for housing, they come back to us and decline the offer due to not being able to find or afford housing.”

Attempting to meet the need, the Foundation’s purpose is to support the improvement of health care services, which are all dependent on the caregivers who deliver them.

With a common interest, the Foundation and McCall Memorial Hospital District have formed a partnership to collaborate on developing the property.

They currently have an agreement in place that will allow the Hospital District to purchase up to one-half of the property once the project receives final approval from the McCall City Council.

They believe that by working together in a public-private partnership, they can have a greater impact for a long-term solution.

The preliminary projected cost to build the project is $25 million. Plans include building the townhomes in phases as funds are available.

If the project is approved by the McCall City Council by spring, work can begin this summer. The goal is to install infrastructure and one of the fourplexes, which could be ready to rent by the end of the year.

“We are grateful the Foundation made the decision to purchase this property and are partnering with the Hospital District,” Green said. “It marks a significant step forward in addressing our workforce housing challenges.”

St. Luke’s has been investing in workforce housing opportunities in McCall for several years and has a mix of temporary and long-term rentals for employees. The long-term rentals are in a building located on Third Street in McCall that includes 10 studio units and four commercial spaces. The studios are all rented by full-time employees. The homes for temporary housing are located near the hospital campus and are offered by the room with a shared kitchen. These are used for short-term needs by St. Luke’s staff from other sites when working in McCall and contract staff. They can also be used for transitional housing for permanent staff until long-term housing is secured.