Affordable Housing

Many renters in Idaho are facing a challenging financial future, after a devastating year. While businesses shed jobs and cut hours as the government struggled to get safety net systems in place, these folks faced tough questions. Questions like “what’s more important to spend my limited money on: my rent, my utility bill or groceries?” 

Another week in Idaho politics and news means there's plenty to cover on the Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable. From legislative fights to explosive growth, housing and development in the Treasure Valley, plus education and COVID-19, there's plenty to cover. 

As we wrap up our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability in the Treasure Valley, we wanted look at some possible solutions to the issues we've covered. What solutions are out there to help folks dealing with skyrocketing home prices, lengthy commutes and traffic, rising property taxes, demands on government services and more? And if the valley continues on its current trajectory, what does the next 20 years look like?

Idaho Matters is continuing our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability issues facing the Treasure Valley, one of the fastest growing places in the country. Today, we’re spending time in Canyon County to better understand how cities like Nampa and Caldwell are approaching this topic.

We are continuing our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability in the Treasure Valley with a trip to Canyon County. The county has the largest Latino population in the state, and members of the community are essential to the agriculture industry in the region. So how are the issues of rising home prices and rapid growth affecting this community?

We know housing prices have gone up rapidly in Ada County in recent years. In Canyon County, folks are also feeling the squeeze. So what does that mean for people looking to purchase their first home in the Treasure Valley? Especially for Millennials — who have gone through two historic recessions in young adulthood — buying a home can be out of reach in this very popular market.

Jenni Franklin feels like she was pushed out. “It was hard and it was heartbreaking for us,” she said of having to move away from her home of 10 years. In August, she relocated from Hailey to Twin Falls, in search of a more affordable place for her family of six to live.

Idaho Matters is working on a series of interviews exploring Treasure Valley growth and affordability.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order over the weekend directing federal agencies to explore how they can help avoid mass evictions across the country. But, as of now, the eviction moratorium passed by congress under the original stimulus bill has expired. And that could leave hundreds of thousands of renters in our region vulnerable to eviction.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit and left thousands of Americans out of work, one question kept popping up: what about rent? How can tenants pay for their housing when they’re out of work, especially when some of the hardest-hit industries are low-wage jobs? 

There is overwhelming demand for emergency financial assistance right now as so many people have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The build-to-rent market has been exploding in the Treasure Valley, with developers building homes not for people to buy —but for people to rent.

For men and women returning to society from incarceration, access to affordable housing is key to their success. 

For men and women returning to society from incarceration, access to affordable housing is key to their success. But with Idaho's tightening rental market already keeping affordable housing out of reach for much of the general public, the risk of prison recidivism continues to rise when former inamtes can't secure sustainability, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. 

From dorms to multi-family housing units, property owners are turning to new ways to build more cost-effective housing. IndieDwell, a Boise-based company which has built affordable houses using shipping containers in the Treasure Valley, is now finishing up its first site in the Wood River Valley.

Since 2011, the Home Partnership Foundation has held the Avenues for Hope Campaign every December, raising more than $2 million for housing and homelessness nonprofits across Idaho. Idaho Matters talks with campaign organizers to learn how this philanthropy works in action.

Affordable housing in the resort town of Ketchum hit another roadblock last week. A project there will not receive low income housing tax credits that would have made more affordable units available.

An Ada County Commissioner, a CEO and a former superintendent will walk into a bar next week — no, this isn’t a setup for a cheesy bar joke. It’s a setup for a discussion about serious issues.

Short-term rentals have become a popular alternative to hotels and have created side hustle income for homeowners, in some cases helping folks cover their mortgage. But some critics say these kind of rentals are compounding affordable housing problems. The City of Boise is looking at creating rules on short-term rentals. The group Boise Regional Realtors is pushing back on this idea.