A majority of Idahoans rank housing as one of their top issues.

It’s my #1 priority, too. Our state must face down and plan for inevitable growth, particularly in the housing market.

A recent study showed a 75% increase in housing costs in recent years, while average incomes increased by only 18% during that same time period. As many people have moved to Idaho, housing development has struggled to keep up with demand. There is now a shortage of at least 22,000 affordable units in Idaho.

At every door I knock, housing inevitably comes up in conversation: whether it’s a renter experiencing a steep rent increase, a homeowner whose property taxes have doubled, or any community member who is concerned about growth and the impacts it’s having on our community and neighbors.

Housing is the reason I ran for office. Seeing tenants in the eviction process every day while the state failed to act motivated me to inspire action at the state level. During my first term, I was successful in nearly passing a bill that would have required rental fees to be reasonable, advocated to get $50 million in federal funding put towards affordable housing development, and worked across the aisle to make attempts to lower property taxes.

Here are 6 things state lawmakers can do to address the housing crisis.

Update our landlord-tenant code.

Idaho’s landlord-tenant code hasn’t been updated in years. When it was first written, things were much different in Idaho and our rental market was more fair (meaning there was more of a balance between renters in the market and how many units are available). Now, landlords are at a significant advantage because there is much more demand for rental units than there is supply. Here’s what that means:

• Landlords can raise rents and fees and still get applicants. Because there are fewer available units, renters are forced to pay more if they don’t want to be without a home.

• Landlords can evict tenants easily because they know there will be another renter looking to move in.

• There are a few things we can to bring more balance to our landlord-tenant code:

  • Lengthen the 3-day eviction notice for nonpayment of rent to 14-days, as many other states have done.

  • Require landlords to register with the state or localities prior to being able to file for eviction.

  • Require landlords to submit more information about themselves and their tenants prior to eviction so tenants can be contacted

  • Ensure more fairness and transparency with rental and application fees, requiring fees to be capped and application fees to be limited to the first one or two applicants who apply.

  • Enact “source of income discrimination” laws and ordinances that make it illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to a voucher holder.

Update the eviction process.

With rising rents, evictions and rates of homelessness are increasing. To keep our state from becoming like many others, the Legislature should work collaboratively with the courts to ensure best practices are being used in eviction court, and that partnerships are built to connect tenants and landlords to resources in court:

• Fund in-person court mediators to resolve cases in court. Mediation allows landlords and tenants to come up with an agreement in court without going in front of the judge. Landlords get paid and tenants can avoid getting an eviction on their record if they comply with the mediation agreement.

• Fund the creation of online tools and resources tenants can access before they go to court. Many tenants go to court without knowing about community resources that are out there to help them avoid eviction. The Legislature can partner with the courts to ensure those resources are readily available to people being summoned to court.

• Codify improvements to the eviction court process which allow more cases to be resolved pre-court, saving tenants, landlords, and the court (therefore the taxpayers) time and money.

Invest in housing development and services.

Many other states have recognized the housing crisis they are in and invested dollars in housing development and services, to ensure housing is more affordable and services and resources are available to those who need them. During my first term, I successfully advocated for $50 million to get put towards workforce housing development. Additional and ongoing investments should be made at the state level in affordable housing development. There are many recommended uses of such funding which can allow the private sector to fill housing needs:

• Land banking: purchasing land for workforce housing, and other developments targeted at serving vulnerable and low-income populations. Purchasing the land itself can be a huge barrier to building affordable housing. 

• Opportunity zones: provide for grant and tax credits to allow localities to delineate opportunity zones for housing development. These zones allow for investors to obtain tax credits for investing in affordable housing developments.

• Housing preservation: to support developers to re-develop blight and unused or run-down buildings to be used for workforce housing. Saving existing housing is more affordable than building new ones from the ground up!

• Building incentives for affordable/workforce housing: waive impact fees or provide property tax incentives for developers building workforce housing.

• Property tax credits: provide a credit to homeowners willing to commit to using their rental properties (whether an additional home or ADU) for long term rentals instead of short term rentals like AirBnB. This would help keep more units in the rental pool for residents instead of out-of-state vacationers. 

• Municipal tax opportunities: provide financial support to localities to impose or waive local taxes to mitigate supply issues created by short term rentals.

• Employer Incentives: provide industry with a tax credit if they provide workforce housing for their employees on the site of their business.

• To address current needs, the state should also invest in rental assistance and case management, which can be accessed before tenants fall behind on their rent or by people who recently lost their housing.

  • Case managers can help tenants address barriers that may have led them to eviction and connect tenants to resources that they need including employment, benefits, or health care. Case managers can also leverage funding to pay back rent that tenants owe to keep them housed, while providing them with the resources and support they need to remain housed in the mid- to long-term.

  • Housing service providers across the nation are currently facing a steep fiscal cliff with CARES Act funding expiring this fall. At the same time, Idaho is at a critical inflection point in its housing crisis, with many families becoming homeless and being evicted for the very first time in their lives because of unaffordability. The state should step in to ensure that the many people being evicted and becoming homeless due to an inability to pay their rent are supported.

Remove regulatory barriers and create incentives at the state and local levels to allow more affordable homes and apartments to be built.

• Provide homeowners in all of Idaho with the opportunity to have Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on their property.

• Remove the requirement that affordable housing developers who receive a tax credit must also manage their property. This requirement has been a disincentive for local churches and other non-profits who would like to develop affordable housing, because property management is a separate skillset and responsibility. 

• Simplify the ability of affordable housing developers to access tax credits if their housing serves households at 80% of area median income (AMI) or below. The current language is outdated and nearly impossible to match exactly.

• Provide affordable housing developers with sales tax relief, making it easier for them to keep their housing development affordable without hurting their bottom line.

As you can see, there is a lot our state can do to address our housing crisis.