Affordable Housing

Idaho lawmakers are taking the rest of the year to study the state’s housing affordability crisis – and what can be done to stem its effects on residents.

Across the state affordable housing continues to be an issue. In the Treasure Valley alone, the number of evictions has nearly doubled since 2022. Which is why LEAP Housing, a local nonprofit, is working to build solutions.

It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines this past week.

Idaho is the second-least affordable housing market in the country, according to recent data from the National Association of Realtors.

The Boise City Council has voted to scale down temporary shelter operations at the Red Lion in Boise. 95 residents live at the downtown hotel, but As local organizations join the city’s efforts to combat the local housing crisis, more opportunities for permanent housing and funding are available. The city anticipates 400 affordable homes to be built within the next three years, providing families with a permanent home.

NeighborWorks Boise is a local nonprofit that helps people find affordable housing. They created a program called HomeShare Hub last fall, a possible solution to the local housing crisis. It pairs less traditional landlords like empty nesters and seniors who may need a hand around the house with renters like seasonal workers and traveling nurses.

For several years now, housing has been listed as a top priority issue in Idaho and as the states population continues to grow the problem isn't getting any smaller. When it comes to addressing the housing crisis though, it's not just affordability that people are worried about, it's the solution and how that solution might impact neighborhoods, particularly in Boise.

Finding affordable housing in today's economy, especially as a single parent, is no easy feat. And when you add going back to school to the equation, things can get hard to balance.

If someone asked you, "What’s your top priority when it comes to health care?" what would you say? That’s the question a group of 23 different hospitals, health districts and other agencies asked the people who live in ten counties in Western Idaho. The answers are in, and now that group has an action plan to try to address the top three concerns of community members.

As more Idaho families experience homelessness, one organization is working to find them affordable housing.