SEEKING IDAHOANS’ INPUT TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY
Guest column submitted by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo

Access to affordable housing remains one of the most pressing issues affecting both employees and
employers across Idaho, and it is the number one issue Idahoans raise with me in meetings across
the State. I am asking Idahoans to participate in a housing survey, accessible on my website at
https://www.crapo.senate.gov/issues/affordable-housing-survey and at the QR Code embedded
below, to help create a better understanding of the specific housing challenges in Idaho in an effort to
develop policy solutions.
In August of 2024, I hosted a Roundtable in the Lewiston area with local government officials,
homebuilders, realtors, financial institutions, the Chamber of Commerce, homelessness advocates
and others to discuss how the lack of affordable housing is impacting residents and employers across
Idaho. The discussion was the start of our effort to piece together the housing puzzle and work to
find collaborative solutions to this issue. The housing survey stems from this discussion and will help
us better understand common housing trends specific to certain regions and broader housing issues
across the State.
And Idaho is far from alone in this challenge. We have a housing crisis across the country, primarily
as families who want to move to a community or live in a community for a specific job cannot find
affordable housing. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports, “For low-income
Americans, the hunt for affordable housing can be especially tough.”
Idaho in particular is a beautiful and desirable place to live, and it is no surprise that our population
has grown exponentially, putting considerable pressure on housing availability and affordability.
Idahoans can be a key part in helping to find collaborative solutions to this issue. The information you
provide through the survey will be used solely for the purpose of analyzing and considering legislation
on this issue. At the conclusion of the survey, the data will be aggregated and released in a final
report available to the public. No personally identifiable information will be included in the final report
and responses will ensure anonymity.
As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, a senior member of the Senate Committee on
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I work with
members of the Committees and many others to advance legislation and policy changes to help
broaden housing options. This includes legislation I am co-sponsoring to modernize and streamline
housing programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service; and

legislation I am leading in the Senate to make affordable housing more accessible to disabled
veterans.
Efforts to help grow our economy, through preventing a more than $4 trillion tax increase on the
American people and reducing unnecessary and burdensome federal regulation are also key pieces
to addressing the housing crisis. The less hard-earned taxpayer income spent on taxes and meeting
unnecessary regulatory requirements, the less financial pressure on families in meeting housing
needs.
I am working aggressively with President Trump and others to permanently extend and build on the
Trump tax cuts, or the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In addition to lowering tax rates for all Americans,
extending this tax relief will also help ensure access to capital in the housing industry. Incentivizing
builders to create affordable homes can be a phenomenal boost to getting the housing we need.
But, keeping federal tax rates low and reducing overregulation are only part of the solution to the
housing puzzle. With your help through this housing survey, we can identify additional needed
changes that can make affordable housing more attainable for all Idahoans. Please also share this
survey with fellow Idahoans. The survey will remain open until May 31, 2025.

(Crapo Housing Survey QR Code)