Low Income Housing in Idaho

Low Income Housing Information

Low income housing can be a godsend, but if you don't know how to apply, or who to get your information to, how can you ever expect to be approved?

Since laws and procedure vary from state to state, you'll need to learn a few specifics before applying. We can help!

Best Places to Look for Low Income Housing in Idaho

Reflecting the ideas of self reliance and general lack of charity common in many western states, Idaho apportions no state funds to help residents in need of housing assistance in the state. What assistance is available tends to come from local housing authorities that are part of either county or municipal governments as well as a number of non-profit organizations that operate various programs and provide assistance to low income people in Idaho.

All state-wide low income housing programs in Idaho come directly from the federal government. However, as the federal programs usually require a state wide administrator, Idaho created the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA, www.ihfa.org). IHFA is not funded by the state government, instead being a fully self-funded entity that receives its money from the fees it charges, investing, and through partnerships with financial institutions in the state. IHFA is first place that people needing low income housing in Idaho should look to see what is available, though they can expect to pay for any actual service they receive from the institution. Most affordable housing options in the state are concentrated in the state's few urban areas.

The Boise City Ada County Housing Authority (BCACHA, www.bcacha.org), is representative of the local housing authorities mentioned previously. Although they do actively seek to help qualifying individuals and families find affordable rental housing, at the same time they have a specific mandate to actively encourage self-sufficiency. The standards to qualify for assistance are the federal qualifying conditions, as the program's funding comes from the federal government. The only actual money that does not come from federal sources is for their Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which is meant to help people on Section 8 housing achieve other basic financial goals and save some money.

The other larger urban areas in Idaho have similar local housing authorities that offer much the same basic services as the BCACHA described above. These local authorities include the Nampa Housing Authority, www.nampahousing.com and the Housing Authority of Pocatello, www.housingauthorityofpocatello.org, covering the state's second and third largest cities. Other cities have much smaller authorities or no housing office at all. Outside of the urban areas, the only really option for help with housing in Idaho comes from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development (www.rurdev.usda.gov) programs. Most of the USDA's Rural development programs have strict guidelines and requirements, but offer the only real chance for housing assistance outside of the state's urban areas.

Therefore, the best places for new residents of Idaho to find available housing assistance is in the state's larger cities, especially the three largest: Boise, Nampa, and Pocatello. Even in these areas the demand for low income housing is considerably higher than the resources available, but these areas represent the best chance of getting government subsidized assistance with housing in Idaho. Further, residents can expect little in the way of additional assistance or sympathy from the state government, which refuses to spend any money at all on helping its low income residents with affordable housing.