Affordable Housing

Many animal shelters in our region are bursting with unwanted cats and dogs and the problem is linked to the nation’s housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ketchum turns to local option tax to help raise money for affordable housing.

Some politicians in the Mountain West are renewing calls to transfer federal lands to state and local governments as a way to ease the affordable housing crisis. They argue that such transfers could provide much-needed space in fast-growing communities hemmed in by public lands.

There’s something called the “1% for Air” local option tax, which traditionally funds air service and tourism efforts. But Ketchum officials would like to ask voters to split that LOT in half, with .5% still going to promote air travel, but earmarking the other .5% for affordable housing projects.

Emergency rental assistance programs have served tens of thousands of people and handed out hundreds of millions of dollars for things like rent and utility payments since they began during the pandemic. Now, many places in the Mountain West are no longer accepting applications because they’ve run out of funds.

The Western Governors’ Association has made several policy recommendations to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis.

Last week, IHFA announced that Dec. 29 is the last day people can apply for relief money.

Blaine County organizations raised the alarm this fall about an uptick in people sleeping outside. Purchasing the transitional housing units is one short-term solution the city thinks could help people get out of the cold.

Mental health and substance use issues often dominate conversations around homelessness, but researchers and social workers in Idaho are drawing attention to the housing shortage as its main cause.

In this City Club Forum, academics and practitioners discussed the relationship between homelessness and housing, examining their interconnected issues, and also to propose solutions.