‘I can’t cover this:’ Boise-area renters struggle as landlords impose big increases
Lynn Zimmermann, a 63-year-old who works in an office managing payroll, has lived in her two-bedroom Boise apartment since 2017. She lives on a strict budget — she doesn’t pay for cable, runs her furnace only when necessary and drives her car only for groceries and to get to and from work.
Her rent has slowly increased in the past few years, and she paid $990 a month for much of 2020. Additional fees of $35 for water, sewer and trash, plus a $10 fee for air filters, pushed that total to $1,035 a month. In the past, Zimmermann said she would use one of her two paychecks a month for housing, leaving her $8. The second paycheck went to her power bill, internet and other living expenses.
Her carefully crafted budget was jeopardized in late January when she was notified her rent would increase to $1,175 a month and her water, sewer and trash fee to $50. She recalled thinking, “I can’t cover this.”
She started looking for apartments in Boise, Meridian and Kuna, and soon learned that it would be hard to find similar rentals around her previous price.
Zimmermann is one of many renters in the Treasure Valley who face financial difficulties as rents rise. Rents in the Boise area rose at a faster rate than any other metro area in the nation over the past year, says Apartment List, a national service. This occurred while rent prices in many cities fell during the coronavirus outbreak.
Boise rent prices grew in 2020 despite COVID-19
Apartment List says Boise rent prices grew by 11.7% since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. That increase is the most among all large and midsize cities. Big cities like San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle saw rent prices fall over the course of the pandemic.
Zumper, another national listing service, says as of February the price of one-bedroom rentals in Boise increased by 15% in the past year. Two-bedroom rentals were up 8% in Boise. The service reported the median price for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,210, while the median price for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,310.
Home prices in the Treasure Valley continue to surge as well. Ada County’s median price for sold homes increased once more, reaching $454,000 in January. A 3,790-square-foot Meridian home sold for over $1 million this month after it was valued at $534,000 by the Ada County Assessor’s Office.
Rent for woman in 90s rises to $1,320 from $990
Boise resident Julie Bouchard’s mother, Jacqueline, has lived in an apartment in Boise’s Highlands neighborhood for over eight years. Jacqueline Bouchard is in her 90s, and the pandemic has left her isolated and worried.
Both were shocked to receive word in late January that the rent at Jacqueline’s apartment was set to increase from $990 a month to $1,320 at the start of March — an increase of 33%.
“It’s appalling,” Julie Bouchard told the Statesman.
With few options, the two decided that Jacqueline would stay in her apartment and stomach the increase, though some of Jacqueline’s neighbors are starting to look for new housing, according to Julie Bouchard.
Renting help is available
Earlier this year, the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities received nearly $24 million in federal rental assistance to help those families who saw a loss of income due to COVID-19. Applications for that assistance are now open, and the housing authority encourages anyone who meets the criteria to apply.
Ada County renters affected by the pandemic in some way — which includes the loss of a job, reduced hours or increased child care or medical expenses — may be eligible.
The $24 million comes from the second COVID-19 relief package and is distributed by the U.S. Treasury. Tenants in Ada County can apply now, as well as landlords, as long as they apply on behalf of tenants.
To qualify, a household’s income may not exceed 80% of the area’s median income, or $41,900 for a household of one, according to the online guide from the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities.
Deanna Watson, executive director of the housing authorities, said the federal money can go toward paying past due rent and utilities, as well as future rent and utilities in three-month increments. Watson said the money can pay for up to 12 months of housing costs, and renters could qualify for three-month extensions beyond that.
“So many people have some kind of financial hardship due to COVID,” Watson told The Statesman. “ We want to figure out ways to help.”
A bill passed by the Idaho Legislature will bring an additional $175 million to renters statewide.
‘It’s been a crazy year’
Despite a federal moratorium on evictions for qualifying renters — first signed in September by then-President Donald Trump and extended from January to March 31 by President Joe Biden — eviction cases are on the rise in Ada County, according to local nonprofit Jesse Tree.
The federal moratorium does not relieve a renter of the obligation to pay rent, and renters must meet certain qualifications for the moratorium to take effect.
Jesse Tree, which aims to prevent homelessness and evictions throughout the Treasure Valley, reported earlier this month that eviction cases trended upward in January.
According to the group’s 2020 annual report, Jesse Tree spent $449,510 in rental assistance for 2020. The group gave financial assistance to 278 households in Ada County and 102 in Canyon County. It provided 950 households with some form of case management.
Ali Rabe, Jesse Tree’s executive director, told the Statesman that the demand for services has not gone down since a 300% increase in calls last April when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We’ve been overwhelmed,” said Rabe, who is also a freshman Democratic state representative from Boise. “It’s been a crazy year.”
Not only are families facing evictions despite the federal moratorium, Jesse Tree has fielded calls from numerous households where families are priced out of their homes or told to vacate after a landlord decided to sell the property. However, employment issues related to the pandemic are the most common reason for people requesting Jesse Tree’s services, according to Rabe.
The federal rent relief money is a welcome sight, and services like Jesse Tree want to encourage anyone given a three-day notice or facing a potential eviction date in court to contact the group immediately online or by calling the housing crisis hotline at 208-383-9486.
In the Legislature, Rabe has proposed a bill to require landlords to outline all fees associated with renters upfront, and to require “reasonable” late fees for those behind on rent.
One paycheck isn’t enough
Zimmermann said she worries about renters like her who do not qualify for assistance yet still face financial hardship as Boise rent prices continue upward.
Zimmermann’s annual gross income is beyond the threshold to qualify for the housing authorities’ rental assistance. She lives alone and makes more than the $41,900 limit for a single-person household.
“I fall through the cracks,” Zimmerman said.
Her rent increase was later reduced $80, to $1,095 month-to-month.
“I know I am in a better place than most people, but rent prices are getting out of control,” Zimmerman said.
She’s still looking for a new apartment, and acknowledges a single paycheck likely won’t cover her rent anymore. Her car is paid off, which helps. But the money that saved was supposed to go toward savings and retirement.
Zimmermann added that when she received a pay bump in the past, she would tell a coworker, “Sweet, I can live in my apartment another year.”
Now, she says, “I was lucky and got a 23 cent (per hour) raise last year, but that’s not enough to cover my rent increase.”
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Need help?
▪ For those facing an eviction court date, call Jesse Tree’s housing crisis hotline at 208-383-9486 or fill out an online form.
▪ Applications are now open for housing authority’s emergency rental assistance program, which can be filled out using an online form. For application information, please call the housing authority at 208-363-9710.
This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 12:22 PM.
