Member Highlight: LEAP Housing

Thank you to Zeb Moers, Operations and Outreach Manager at LEAP Housing, for your continued partnership and service to the nonprofit community!

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​Mission: To develop and preserve affordable housing while providing empowering services that lead to greater housing stability.

Q: How has your organization evolved over the years?

"LEAP was founded by Bart Cochran, a Boise realtor, who saw vulnerable populations unable to access stable, affordable homes. He was sure that all people could play a role in working to solve housing challenges and the rest is history. We have quickly grown over the past few years and now operates six programs with 10 staff, serving 350+ households per year. Based in Boise, LEAP has historically served households in the Treasure Valley but is now expanding across the state."

LEAP operates the following programs:

• Welcome Housing: Temporary housing for those arriving in Boise through refugee resettlement.
• Yes You Can: Navigation of the homebuying process through mentorship and connection to community resources for first-time homebuyers.
• LEAP ROC: Preservation and beautification of mobile home communities through resident ownership.
• Affordable Housing Development: New construction of innovative affordable rental and homeownership communities that defy the stigma of affordable housing.
• Resident Services: Connections to resources for residents of LEAP housing to ensure long term housing stability.
• LEAP Housing Trust: The first Community Land Trust in the Treasure Valley, which creates homeownership communities that remain perpetually affordable for buyer after buyer.
• In 2016, LEAP hired its first staff and launched its first program, Welcome Housing.
• In 2017, LEAP launched its second program, Yes You Can Homebuyer Program.
• In 2018, LEAP purchased 3 condos for the Welcome Housing program, received a grant award from MJ Murdock Charitable Trust, launched its third program (LEAP ROC), received its first annual HUD certification as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), and first federal funding award for construction of new affordable housing, launching its fourth program Affordable Housing Development.
• In 2019, LEAP’s first new construction rental community (Windy Court) opened in Boise, the first Resident Owned Community in Idaho was successfully converted through LEAP ROC, and Welcome Housing welcomed its 300th guest.
• In 2020, Windy Court Phase 2 opens in Boise, the second Resident Owned Community is converted in Garden City, the Resident Services Program is launched (LEAP’s fifth program), Yes You Can celebrates its 50th homeowner, and LEAP closes on land in Boise for Caritas Commons (new construction homeownership community).
• In 2021, LEAP launched the LEAP Housing Trust (its sixth program), completed a $2.1 million capital campaign for land for LHT (including significant gifts from healthcare providers), launched the Yes In God’s Back Yard (YIGBY) campaign, Aries Duplex (first newly constructed housing in Canyon County) opened, and closed on land in Boise for Whitney Commons (new construction homeownership community).

Q: Where do you see your nonprofit in 5 years?

​"LEAP is working to become one of the top experts in affordable housing in Idaho, providing solutions and new housing across the state. LEAP’s Strategic Plan has an aggressive goal to create or preserve 1000 affordable homes by year end 2026, which would coincide with its 10th year Housing Anniversary. Put another way - 1,000 housing opportunities in 10 years. LEAP is on its way to meet such an audacious goal."

"LEAP has an in-depth plan and growing network of partnerships across Idaho to help it meet this goal and provide much needed housing to Idaho residents."

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you face day-to-day?

​"The biggest challenges LEAP faces on a daily basis is sourcing the people power and capacity to complete objectives and activities that drives our mission forward. The recent changes we are seeing in the labor market have been publicly debated. But, the difficulty to raise operational funds and then translate those dollars into effective staff has been a continuous thorn on our side, and now more than ever. LEAP needs to be ambitious to meet the urgency of the housing crisis in Idaho, but we can’t build 1000 units by 2026 if we struggle to fund and find qualified staff."

Q: What is one thing you wish your donors / general public knew about nonprofit work?

​"The urgency of our work does not subside. Our work is needed, but the pressure to meet the daily urgency in our line of work is unrelenting. In the nonprofit sector, we are usually cash strapped and capacity limited while pursuing solutions to large societal issues. Nonprofit work is both very rewarding and demanding at the same time. It is good to celebrate every inch forward toward the hope of what we want to see in the community as a success and keep going."

"The work LEAP and our partners are able to achieve is due to in large part the support we receive from the community. As people and as an organization. Thank your friends and family who work in nonprofit work and sacrifice many things for the betterment of their communities!"

Q: What have you benefited most from INC membership?

​"Probably the top way that LEAP has benefited from INC membership over the years is through the INC annual conference. This has been a great resource for LEAP staff from grant writing to marketing to finances to executive leadership. LEAP has gained a lot from these curated workshops and networking opportunities. LEAP even had the opportunity to meet with Terry from the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust which assisted in LEAP building a relationship and receiving an award and now going through the process again."