Growth + Affordability
Treasure Valley evictions are on the rise, but rent aid is working to keep Idahoans in their homes
More residents living in the Treasure Valley are struggling to pay their rent, according to a new report from Jesse Tree, a Boise-based nonprofit. In the annual “Treasure Valley Eviction Report,” Jesse Tree shows eviction filings in 2023 increased by 89% in Ada and Canyon counties from 2022. Rising rent, cost of living, stagnant wages […]
No budget surplus expected as Idaho begins new fiscal year today
After state budget projections missed the mark by more than $120 million in May, budget officials were not expecting the state of Idaho to end its fiscal year on Sunday with a budget surplus – a departure from record surpluses in recent years. Idaho runs on a fiscal year calendar that begins July 1 and […]
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sided with a local ordinance in Oregon that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, and local governments will be allowed to enforce those laws. In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of those local laws that regulate camping on public […]
Canyon County breaks ground on new elections building using federal ARPA funds
Canyon County has broken grounds on a new elections building with the help of federal funds. The new facility is set for completion in late 2024 or early 2025, and it will span 16,500 square feet, according to a press release from Canyon County. The project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, also […]
Budget unveiled for 2034 Olympics in Utah
Organizers leading the effort to bring the Olympics back to Utah have revealed what they expect a 2034 Winter Games will cost — and they’re continuing to promise no state or local public funding will be needed. The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games released its budget on Monday, projecting that a 2034 Winter […]
Federal ARPA funds to transform Ada County horse racetrack into urban park
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that the property is not in Garden City, but rather it is on Ada County property. Additionally, the name, “The Park at Expo,” is the name of the developing park. All three Ada County Commissioners, Ryan Davidson, Tom Dayley and Rod Beck, are proponents of the project. […]
Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom
More than half of the nation’s jobs created in the past five years have come in two states: Texas and Florida. They’re at the forefront of a job creation revolution in which states with lower wages and a lower cost of living are gaining the highest share of new jobs, according to a new Stateline […]
Gap in closest Idaho legislative primary race narrows to just two votes as recount looms
With a recount on the way, only two votes separate the apparent winner and loser in a razor-thing Republican legislative primary election in eastern Idaho. Initial, unofficial election results posted by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office late Tuesday and early Wednesday originally indicated that Republican challenger Ben G. Fuhriman of Shelley had defeated incumbent […]
Idaho increases unemployment work search requirements under new law
Under a new law, Idahoans seeking unemployment must report five search-related activities each week starting this summer. The new requirements start July 7, according to an Idaho Department of Labor news release. Idaho previously required two work search contacts each week. The rise in required work search reports for Idaho unemployment insurance stems from House […]
Idaho wages rose 8% last year. Boise pay grew even more.
Average hourly wages for Idaho workers rose 8.3% last year, increasing the statewide average to $26.75. Wages grew 7% — or $1.67 — on average across Idaho’s population centers from 2022 to 2023. Idaho’s capital city saw the highest growth. The Boise metropolitan area wages grew 10.3%, the Idaho Department of Labor announced in a […]
Retention successes don’t answer for health care staffing amid Idaho’s growth
As we reach four years since the start of the pandemic, I look at our hospital staff and am proud that — unlike many of our fellow hospital systems — we’ve been able to retain the majority of our talented team members. We were able to weather the storm by prioritizing our most valuable asset: […]
Northwest’s electricity demand projected to grow 30% in next decade, triple previous estimates
Electricity demand in the Northwest is expected to grow more than 30% in the next decade, or about 5% more than estimated last year and triple the prediction three years ago, industry experts said in a new report. Large data centers, an increase in high-tech manufacturing and growing electrification in homes, buildings and transportation are […]