Struggling to afford rent in Boise? The government just boosted a subsidy, if you qualify

In the Boise area, renters are struggling to find apartments and homes they can afford.

For people who depend on government assistance like Section 8 vouchers, it can be even more difficult, because vouchers often don’t cover all of someone’s rent, and landlords don’t always accept them.

But there’s good news for people who use the vouchers. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday that it would increase what it deems as the fair market rent in the Boise area by 9%. That means voucher holders will get more money to cover rents.

The Idaho Statesman reported last winter that renters were struggling to find rentals they could afford with their vouchers. At the time, a renter looking for a three-bedroom apartment or house could get a voucher for up to $1,734, while most three bedrooms cost $1,900, $2,000, or more per month.

To apply for a voucher, you or your household must make, at most, 80% of the area’s median income. Most voucher recipients are much poorer than that: At least 75% of the households receiving vouchers must have income at or below 30% of the area median income. The income varies depending on household size. Thirty percent of the Ada County area median income is $17,700 for one person and $25,250 for a family of four.

For fiscal year 2023, which starts Oct. 1., HUD raised the voucher coverage for a three-bedroom rental to $1,841, according to the department’s website.

The Treasure Valley has about 2,800 voucher holders, according to previous Statesman reporting.

HUD gives local housing authorities the ability to set their payments for Section 8 vouchers between 90% and 110% of the official fair market rent. Fair market rents are an estimate of the amount of money that would cover rent and utility expenses on 40% of the rentals in an area. HUD is required by law to set fair market rents every year.

The Statesman previously reported that voucher holders had about a 60% success rate in finding apartments because they could not find rentals in their price range, and because landlords sometimes prefer applicants without Section 8 vouchers. Housing advocates say Section 8 applicants are sometimes stigmatized as people who don’t take good care of the premises.

“One of the reasons that housing voucher holders are unable to use those vouchers is because the value of their vouchers has not kept up with rapid rent increases,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in a news release. “These new (fair market rents) will make it easier for voucher holders facing this challenge to access affordable housing in most housing markets, while expanding the range of housing opportunities available to households.”

Here are the Boise area’s fair market rents in fiscal year 2022 and 2023. The rents apply to Ada, Canyon, Boise and Owyhee counties

BR: bedroom. Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development

Idaho’s fair market rent increase is slightly below the average national increase, which is 10%. Large metro areas like Phoenix, Tampa and Miami saw 15%-33% increases, HUD’s news release said.

Deanna Watson, executive director of the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities, previously told the Statesman that one of the biggest issues with the voucher program was that HUD’s fair market rent determinations lag behind the actual rent prices in the private market.

“As the rents have taken such tremendous jumps, that is troubling for voucher holders,” she said.

How to apply for Section 8

In Ada County, people seeking a voucher must apply to be placed on the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities waiting list.

That’s a problem. That waiting list is now closed, according to the housing authorities’ website.

The housing authorities (there are two, though they operate as one) randomly select applicants and assign them a spot on the waiting list. The housing authorities notify the public when the waiting list is open and people can apply on its website: bcacha.org

The Southwestern Idaho Cooperative Housing Authority, which distributes housing assistance to all of the southwestern Idaho counties except for Ada, is accepting applications for Section 8 vouchers. Applicants would be placed on the housing authorities’ waiting list.

Canyon County applications may be picked up at 377 Cornell St. in Middleton. People can also download an application online at sicha.org and email or fax it to the housing authority at 208-585-9326 or waitlist@sicha.org.

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