A guide to community resources and supports in Ada County, including resources for:

• Clothing; 
• Furniture; 
• Hygiene Counseling & Mental Health Services; 
• Dental; 
• Disability Services; 
• Education & After-school Programs; 
• Employment & Casual Labor; 
• Financial & Utility Assistance; 
• Food Pantries; 
• Friendship Feasts/ Community Free Meals Crisis / Resource Hotlines; 
• Housing Assistance; 
• Legal Assistance; 
• Medical Assistance; 
• Shelters/Showers; 
• Substance Abuse Treatment; 
• Support Groups; 
• Tax Resources and Questions; 
• Transportation; and 
• Vision.

[This page was last reviewed and updated on: 8/21/2020.]

If you are indigent and cannot afford hospital and medical care, including medications, or basic necessities such as rent, food, and utilities, then the county is required by law to assist you in paying for them. This is a "last resort" program. This means that the county will pay for these services or necessities only if you have no other way of paying for them on a temporary basis.  If, for example, you receive Medical Assistance through the state, then that program must pay for your hospital and medical bills.

Rental and utility assistance is available for low income families who are unable to pay their current rent or utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the related economic crisis.

If you live within Ada County or the City of Boise, contact the Boise City Ada County Housing Authority for rent/utility assistance: https://erap.bcacha.org/. 

If you reside in Ada or Canyon County, you may also qualify for assistance from Jesse Tree. Please view their brochure below or visit the Jesse Tree website here: https://www.jessetreeidaho.org/.

If you live outside Ada County, contact Idaho Housing and Finance Association for rent or utility assistance: https://www.idahohousing.com/hpp/ 

Idaho Legal Aid

Housing Advice Line: call us at (208) 746-7541 or apply online at our website. 

www.idaholegalaid.org

Intermountain Fair Housing Council

208-383-0695 in Boise area or 1-800-717-0695 (toll free)

Idaho Human Rights Commission

208-334-2873 in Boise area or 1-888-249-7025 (toll free) or 208-334-4751 (TDD/TTY)

Department of Housing and Urban Development

www.hud.gov

1-800-669-9777 or 1-800-927-9275 (TDD)

National Fair Housing Alliance

www.nationalfairhousing.org

U.S. Department of Justice

www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/

Idaho Commission on Human Rights

http://humanrights.idaho.gov/

John Marshall School Of Law Fair Housing Legal Support Center

http://www.jmls.edu/fairhousingcenter/

Consolidated Planning

Review Consolidated Plans and Analysis of Impediments for State of Idaho, Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Meridian, Nampa, and Pocatello:

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/conplan/local/id/

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.

Find the nearest Idaho Legal Aid Services office

To find more information about Idaho laws and ways to help yourself:

• Contact your local Court Assistance Office (CAO). There are many forms, instructions, and/or videos that you can use as a legal resource.
• Go to the CAO website to download forms, instructions, and/or videos.

http://www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/

To find a pro bono attorney:

• Call the Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
  (208) 334-4510
  -or-
  1-800-221-3295
• Write the Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
  IVLP
  P.O. Box 895
  Boise, ID 83701-0895

To find a private attorney:

• Call the Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service
  (208) 334-4500

If you have any questions about a lawyer, call the Idaho State Bar, (208) 334-4500

HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country that can provide advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, and credit issues. This page allows you to select a list of agencies for each state below. You may search more specifically for a reverse mortgage counselor or if you are facing foreclosure, search for a foreclosure avoidance counselor.

Design and Construction Resources

HUD Design Manual - Fair Housing Guidelines:

www.huduser.org
Select publications on the left
Select alphabetical listing on right
Select "F" for fair housing
Select Design Manual

ANSI - American National Standards Institute

11 West 42nd Street
New York, New York 10036
Can be purchased on-line from a variety of sources; cannot be reproduced

Fair Housing Accessibility First

1-888-341-7781
www.Fairhousingfirst.org

Reasonable Accommodation

www.hud.gov
Select "Fair Housing" from left column under "Homes"
Select "Reasonable Accommodation" from Quick Links on right
Download HUDIDOJ Statement

Keating Memo - Occupancy Standards

www.hud.gov
Select "Fair Housing" from left column under "Homes"
Select "Policies and Guidelines" from Quick Links on right
Select Keating Memo from list and download
Reasonable Accommodation is also on this list

The Idaho Division of Veterans Services operates three Veterans Homes in Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello. All three homes share a common goal of providing responsive medical and supportive care to veterans who can no longer provide for themselves. The quality of life for veterans is their primary focus and we provide an environment that supports privacy, independence, comfort and security, while meeting social needs.

For more information regarding any of the three Veterans Homes, please visit Idaho Division of Veterans Services webpage regarding these homes: https://www.veterans.idaho.gov/ISVH.

Below is a list of programs for homeless veterans in Idaho: 

Ada County Programs

• Boise Rescue Mission - Ph: (208) 343-2389; http://www.boiserm.org/#/need-help/veterans
• El-Ada Community Action Partnership, Inc. - Ph: (208) 345-2820; http://www.eladacap.org/
• Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships, Inc. - Ph: (208) 331-0900; http://www.shipinc.org/

Bannock County Programs

• Aid for Friends - Ph: (208) 232-5669; http://aidforfriendspocatello.org/
• SEICAA Veterans Services - Ph: (208) 232-114, Extension 145;  http://www.seicaa.org/crisis-services/veteran-s-housing

Elmore County Programs

• El-Ada Community Action Partnership, Inc. - Ph: (208) 345-2820; http://www.eladacap.org/

Kootenai County Programs

• St. Vincent De Paul North Idaho, Ph: (208) 664-3095; http://stvincentdepaulcda.org/

Latah County Programs

• Sojourners' Alliance - Ph: (208) 883-3438; http://sojournersalliance.org/

For the most up to date list of homeless veteran programs in Idaho, including housing and medical programs, please visit the Idaho Division of Veterans Services' Homeless Veterans webpage here: https://www.veterans.idaho.gov/homeless-veterans-programs.

Do you know what a place of public accommodation is? Did you know that places of public accommodation must be accessible to persons with disabilities?

To learn more, please view our Public Accommodations Guide, which covers state and federal protections for persons with disabilities in places of public accommodation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) created a new tool that allows renters and landlords to find rental assistance programs in their area.

To use this tool, please visit: www.consumerfinance.gov/renthelp