HOUSING

Housing and home ownership here in Idaho has become further and farther out of reach every year. Most renters are now paying more than 32.8% of their income on rent alone; some paying as much as 50% of their income! Policy failures have made this unsustainable, and no, it is not a “budgeting” issue. This also directly effects how other money is able to ne managed for “other” necessary bills. This has been especially evident in our Boom Town areas, and this is a direct result of housing shortages, financial impacts and bad government policy. They have all played a large roll in increasing the rising costs of homes from builders to buyers to renters. In return, entire regions feel the squeeze. Passing burdens on to our youngest consumers who already can’t get ahead of the curve. I’m looking to improve the pathways to home buying, making rent affordable again, increase outdated wages, and undoing policies that are failing us. 

At the federal level, supporting current initiatives to increase housing supply by encouraging HUD to develop model zoning reforms and removing restrictions on manufactured housing to lower costs. But more needs to be done by way of wages as affordability comes into focus here as well.