Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the economy, Boise city officials were grappling with how to address the growing housing crisis affecting low-income residents.

On Tuesday, the Boise City Council got an update on the latest work by city staff to invest and develop affordable housing. Started under the administration of former Mayor Dave Bieter.

The program, called “Grow Our Housing,” has mainly been focused on the idea that growth in rent and housing prices will slow down once supply catches up to demand. The estimate from the city was that the city needed to build 1,000 units per year for the next decade to meet demand.

The Idaho Press reports, only 169 of the units constructed in 2019 were affordable, which is well short of the city’s projected need of 350 units of affordable housing constructed annually to keep up with demand as the cost of living rises.