Homelessness in Idaho

Affordable housing is an issue garnering a lot of headlines lately across the country and here in Idaho. It’s an issue facing more and more Idahoans as they struggle to cope with rent burden and the risk of becoming homeless.

As part of our mission, Idaho Housing and Finance leads a coordinated effort to address homelessness throughout the state. Doing this requires partnerships with nonprofits, community organizations, response networks and the business community. Every year, Idaho Housing and Finance compiles data from those efforts into an annual report, “The State of Homelessness in Idaho.”

This year’s report highlights some notable changes from years past. For the first time in many years, the primary cause of homelessness shifted from Domestic Violence to an inability to pay rent. We also found that nearly half of people who entered one of the many assistance programs across the state did so while holding a job. The number of Idahoans who received homelessness services in 2022 also jumped significantly, impacting more than two thousand more people than 2021.

The report gives you a breakdown of the types of assistance provided in each region across the state, including access points for those entering homelessness. It also outlines the different funding sources for the services.

It is our collective hope that this report brings greater awareness to the experiences of those facing homelessness as well as successful interventions and resources in place. With your help, we can ensure every Idahoan has access to a safe place to call home and to the services necessary to remain stably housed.