BOISE, Idaho — When the federal COVID-19 eviction moratorium ends Saturday, there are thousands of Idahoans that could be potentially impacted. For a variety of reasons, the pandemic has caused thousands of Idahoans to fall behind on rent payments and soon they could face eviction. However, there is help.
“That’s the one piece of good news, is that we have a response to the ending of this moratorium. We have funds available and we want to help people. That’s why we are here and what we are here for," said Deanna Watson, the executive director with the Boise City and Ada County Housing Authorities.
For Ada County residents, Watson said there are great programs for renters looking for help, like the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
“If there is a COVID-related reason for someone falling behind on their rent, we can help and we can help fairly quickly. We can reach out to landlords and let them know we are in the process of working through applications and getting help out to people as quickly as we can," Watson said.
To qualify for assistance, residents must be able to show that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their ability to pay rent, be at risk of having housing instability and must have income that does not exceed 80% of the Area Median Income. For a family of four, for example, that is about $60,000 a year.
Outside of Ada County, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program is available for people through Idaho Housing and Finance.
“We have an online application and a call-in number that is easily accessible to connect with the rental assistance that is available," said Brady Ellis, the vice president of Housing support Programs with Idaho Housing and Finance.
He said support for renters is readily available but that landlords in need can also receive support.
Ellis pointed out that there are landlords that depend on income from their properties to make ends meet. The eviction moratorium allowed people to stay in their homes but also prevented some landlords from generating income.
“We are just grateful that the resources we have from some of the federal money has come through and we are administering it now. It is available to help the renters and landlords," Ellis said.
There is plenty of aid money to help those in need. For example, the Boise City and Ada County Housing Authorities have expended about $9.2 million in assistance to over 1,800 Ada County families. Both them and Idaho Housing and Finance said they still have millions available to help people in need.
If someone does need assistance as a renter or landlord and they qualify for the program, financial support can be available soon.
“If we can get people qualified, we can get checks out very quickly to landlords and make households whole again so they can concentrate on other aspects of stabilizing their lives and not have to worry about just covering the rent and not having anything left for anything else," Watson said.
If someone is faced with a potential eviction situation, Ellis has some general advice for how to navigate the stressful circumstance.
“The recommendation to any tenant out there is to have open communication with your landlord, let them know what your circumstances are and what efforts you’ve made to try and make your rent obligations whole. Certainly, connect with the resources and the programs that are available particularly our housing preservation program and keep up to date and in communication with your landlord to let them know what the status is of your efforts in seeking assistance," Ellis said.
For more resources, tips, and help, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has aggregated information here.
Join 'The 208' conversation:
- Text us at (208) 321-5614
- E-mail us at the208@ktvb.com
- Join our The 208 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/the208KTVB/
- Follow us on Twitter: @the208KTVB or tweet #the208 and #SoIdaho
- Follow us on Instagram: @the208KTVB
- Bookmark our landing page: /the-208
- And we also turn each episode into a podcast on Podbean
- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: