Idaho needs statewide strategy to fix affordable housing crisis

Rick Miller

East Idaho continues to see unprecedented growth. Families are looking for community connections like those in eastern Idaho offers in order to build their dreams. Businesses are expanding, and communities throughout the region are planning for their future.

Yet in my work partnering with cities and counties across the region to understand their challenges and build long-term capacity, I hear the same message repeatedly: Our housing system is not keeping up with the needs of everyday Idahoans.

This shortage isn’t simply the result of growth. It’s the product of rules, codes, and processes that make it challenging to build the types of homes low and middle-income workers rely on. Teachers, firefighters, health care workers, and young families are being priced out or pushed farther away from job centers because the homes they need aren’t being built, and, under current zoning, they often can’t be built at all.

Single-family zoning continues to dominate most Idaho cities, even as demand shifts toward smaller, more attainable starter homes. Builders, particularly local, small, Idaho-based builders, say that the biggest obstacles aren’t construction costs but bureaucratic barriers like long timelines, unclear requirements, public hearings for simple projects, and inconsistent interpretations of code. These delays push good, modest projects off the table before they even begin.

The consequences reach far beyond housing. Eastern Idaho employers report struggling to hire because workers can’t find homes within a reasonable commute. If we want strong local economies, thriving small businesses, and the ability to attract and keep talent, we must ensure workers can live near their jobs.

Fortunately, opportunities lie right in front of us. Many east Idaho communities have underused commercial corridors and aging retail strips, many of them areas that already have existing infrastructure and are near jobs, schools, and transit.

Zoning rules often block these ideal housing options with expensive rezones or parking mandates that far exceed what a project realistically needs. Allowing housing in these corridors should be one of the fastest, least controversial ways to add our region’s share of the 55,000 new homes Idaho needs while revitalizing dated parts of our cities and towns.

An overdue statewide strategy can assist local leaders with clear data, unlock approvals for the kinds of modest, infill projects that builders are eager to deliver, and ensure our housing supply aligns with workforce needs.

I’m proud to be part of the new Gem State Housing Alliance, which is stepping up to organize local leaders, gather the data cities need but often lack, and elevate practical, Idaho-specific policy solutions. By focusing on smaller homes, simpler processes, and more housing near jobs, the housing alliance is advancing reforms that can help east Idaho communities thrive.

Idaho families deserve attainable housing choices. Our employers deserve a stable workforce. And communities across our state should remain places where people can build a life. With statewide leadership and local collaboration, Idaho can build more of the homes residents need.