CALDWELL, Idaho — Housing advocates say a new $120,000 grant will help provide relief to people struggling amid Canyon County's affordable housing crisis.
Like in the more populous Ada County, Canyon County residents are struggling to keep up with rising rents and home prices, particularly as those priced out of Boise, Kuna, and Meridan move west.
The nonprofits Jesse Tree and United Way of Treasure Valley announced Tuesday that a $120,000 grant from the Siemer Institute will allow them to hire two new case managers focused on working with Canyon County residents at risk of eviction. At least half of Treasure Valley renters say they are living paycheck-to-paycheck, Jesse Tree says, with thousands of students either homeless or forced to move from one school to another amid housing insecurity.
"The Treasure Valley is at a critical juncture in the housing crisis," Jesse Tree Executive Director Ali Rabe said. "This grant will allow our organization to provide much-needed case management services to families at risk of eviction, to provide them with short-term, one-time support while setting them up for long-term success. This will ultimately reduce the number of families and kids experiencing homelessness in the Treasure Valley."
The nonprofits say the case managers can use rental assistance funding to help tenants catch up on the rent they owe, while also connecting them to services.
"This generous investment comes at a critical time for our area," said Nora Carpenter, president and CEO of United Way of Treasure Valley. "The positive impact of helping families maintain their housing ripples through generations as children can remain in the schools they know and trust."
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