Homeshare program could bring more affordable housing to Kootenai County
“This is just one little slice of the pie that’s a potential solution, that opens up some available spaces that people have to people who really need to rent,” said Coeur d’Alene City Councilmember Kiki Miller, who is helping launch Homeshare Kootenai County.
KREM 2, Nicole Hernandez, May 12th, 2022
The Housing Solutions Partnership and the University of Idaho are exploring the potential for a HomeShare Grant Program in Kootenai County to address the region’s housing shortage. The program would fund home improvements—like adding egress windows or private entrances—to help homeowners rent out space to local workers or students at below-market rates. “It’s a win-win,” says Kiki Miller, Coeur d’Alene councilor and founder of the Housing Solutions Partnership. “Homeowners receive funds for upgrades that increase the equity in their home, and local workers or students will have more affordable housing options.” Community input through a survey will determine the program’s future.
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“Our home providers are going to be seniors that maybe have spare rooms, or recently divorced people that have too big of a house, or snowbirds that are out of town part of the year, and singles that need extra income,” says Carrie Ward, Executive Director of HomeShare Kootenai County.
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“This is a really unique opportunity to provide local folks with affordable housing,” said Kiki Miller, a Coeur d’Alene City Council member and member of the HomeShare Kootenai County board. “That’s just a dire need here.”
KREM 2, Kate Thornbrugh, January 31st, 2023
Homeshare program could bring more affordable housing to Kootenai County
“This is just one little slice of the pie that’s a potential solution, that opens up some available spaces that people have to people who really need to rent,” said Coeur d’Alene City Councilmember Kiki Miller, who is helping launch Homeshare Kootenai County.
KREM 2, Nicole Hernandez, May 12th, 2022
Homeshare program could help solve affordable housing shortage
According to World Population Review, Coeur d’Alene’s population is 56,026, and is growing at a rate of 2.2% annually. Its population has increased by 27% since the previous census, which recorded a population of 44,137 in 2010. That growth has affected the cost of housing. The partnership said five years ago, 75% of county residents could afford a home when the median price was $250,000. Today, according to the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors, the median home price in Kootenai County is $535,000, a 21% increase from March 2021.
KREM 2, Bill Buley, April 22nd, 2022
“With the crisis that we’re in, this could open up some inventory and help our seniors stay in their homes longer,” says Coeur d’Alene City Council member Kiki Miller, founder of HomeShare Kootenai County. “Some of the home shares would be part in-kind work where the tenant would agree to do some chores. Or a homeowner could feel more comfortable if they are a snowbird, with someone living in their house while they’re gone. Every match is going to be unique.”
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS, By Erica Bullock, April 7, 2022