Dear Boise City Council and city leaders,

We, the undersigned residents of Boise and the Treasure Valley, wish to communicate our complete and unwavering support for Interfaith Sanctuary and its proposed move to the new State Street location. We want you to know that the numbers of people in our community who stand behind this move and believe it is appropriate and necessary far outnumber opponents.

We have watched with rapidly growing concern as our local population of unsheltered families and individuals has mushroomed to alarming levels—for the first time ever, exceeding the capacity of the current Interfaith Sanctuary building. This has forced the sanctuary to turn away people in need during a period of dangerously frigid outside temperatures.

We are talking about people who simply have nowhere else to go for shelter because they cannot afford a place to live in our community. We will not remain silent and allow innocent people to be demonized and dehumanized or allow Boise’s homelessness problem to explode out of control as it has in other cities. We will not accept a decision that forces our fellow residents to live in encampments because they have no other options.

Interfaith Sanctuary provides the only low-barrier shelter for unhoused persons. Failing to approve this new location will imperil the essential services the sanctuary provides.

We have shown our faith in your leadership by electing you because you have expressed our shared values of integrity, accountability, decency, supporting families and community, and preserving all that we love about Boise. Now we ask you: Please have a little faith in Interfaith Sanctuary.

As your constituents, we urge you to take the responsible action and approve the proposed State Street location for Interfaith Sanctuary to demonstrate our city’s support for the sanctuary’s vital work.