New resolution calls for working group to study Idaho’s housing and land use regulations

Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, works on the Senate floor at the State Capitol building on January 8, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

A new resolution introduced in the Idaho Legislature on Tuesday afternoon calls for the creation of a bipartisan working group to study housing availability and affordability, and land use regulations that affect housing.

Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, cosponsored the new resolution and presented it Tuesday to the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee.

Rabe told legislators serving on the committee that the resolution is modeled after a 2023 Montana working group that came up with bipartisan proposals to address housing affordability and remove regulatory barriers to building new housing. 

“A better understanding of the effects of land use regulations on housing can guide policymakers, developers, and community leaders in identifying practical and effective strategies to improve housing affordability while maintaining local control and regulatory integrity,” the resolution states. 

Rabe works as executive director of the Boise-based nonprofit organization Jesse Tree, which provides financial assistance and case management services to families in danger of being evicted. 

The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee voted to introduce the new resolution Tuesday without any opposition. Introducing the new resolution on Tuesday clears the way for it to return to the committee for a full public hearing. 

The resolution will be assigned a number and posted publicly to the Idaho Legislature’s website after it is read across the desk of the Senate floor, likely late Wednesday morning. 

Rabe told legislators that the availability of housing is necessary to support the state’s economic growth, support Idaho’s workforce and strengthen communities. 

Since pandemic, Montana, Idaho have surpassed California as most unaffordable states for homebuyers

This is the second housing bill that Rabe has worked on this session. 

The first housing bill is Senate Bill 1042, which seeks to ensure that tenants are charged fewer rental application fees, and that application fees can only be charged for rentals that tenants have a likelihood of being considered for. Under Senate Bill 1042, landlords would only be able to charge application fees to two applying tenant households at a time. 

Senate Bill 1042 was introduced on Jan. 30 and referred to the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee. 

“The biggest issue there is the cost of housing and Idaho is now considered one of the least affordable housing markets in the United States, and I think it’s incumbent on us as state government to try to provide solutions to those problems,” Rabe said in an interview at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. “It’s what people want us to focus on, and it’s one of those kitchen table issues that is affecting everyday Idahoans in really big ways. Rising housing costs are causing more people to lose housing. It’s causing workforce challenges. It’s causing challenges for young people who want to stay in our state and older people who want to age in place. It’s affecting everyone in different ways.”