Supply and demand that's what economists call how we determine value. The less of something, the more valuable it becomes for those who need it or believe they need it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that Idaho has an affordable housing crisis.

If you have a home or an apartment, you're doing better than those renting or looking for a new home. Renters deal with the insecurity that they could be given the boot at any time and live at the mercy of their landlords. Year after year, those who rent face the inevitable rent hike as owners continue to raise rents. It's not unusual for a Treasure Valley renter to face a double-digit rental hike allowing them to stay in their home.

Folks are working more and getting less, and there appears not to be a solution. Politicians promise that they will solve the current housing crisis. Once elected, the same politicians usually continue pandering to out-of-state developers.

How Bad Is It?

Is Idaho the worst state for renters? Where does our state rank as being renter friendly?

 Movingfeedback.com researched the price of rents using Zillow and found that our state may not be the worst, but we are in the top ten. A company spokesperson shared their view in a recent release: 

“Rent demand is strong in the US with rising homeownership costs. It is estimated that there is a shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes for those with low incomes. This paired with rising inflation means that rent prices have continued to soar.

“This data reveals huge disparities in pricing across the US with cities in Colorada and Florida seeing rent increase by around 50%, compared to states like West Virginia and Iowa, which have seen average increases below 15% over the past three years. The Enterprise group has found that nearly 11 million households spend more than 50% of their income on rent.”