TWIN FALLS, Idaho — ’Tis the season of giving, and if you’re looking to spread holiday cheer, the Idaho Housing Foundation has ways to help your fellow Idahoans.
Over the next three weeks, the Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge is giving Idahoans the chance to make a difference in the statewide affordable housing crisis battle.
WATCH: The three-week fundraising campaign runs through December 31, with all proceeds supporting the Idaho Housing Foundation's efforts to provide safe, stable, affordable housing
Idaho is ranked 7th in the nation in terms of being the least affordable state in the country for housing, according to Gary Fornshell, president of Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley.
According to Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley, 62% of the Twin Falls County population cannot afford to buy a medium-sized home.
"There was a report that has come out on Idaho housing, from the University of Idaho— between 2014 and 2025, [Idaho has] seen the fastest rise in housing cost in the nation,168% in those 10 years," Fornshell said.
While the majority of Idahoans find a way to "get by," a small percentage will find themselves without a roof over their heads. That's where the Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge is looking to make a difference.
"It's an online giving campaign. It's all by the grace and the power of the internet. You can give $25 as the minimum, but the maximum is up to you," said Linda Fleming, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley.
Starting December 10 and ending December 31, nonprofits and individual citizens across the state will be raising money in the name of the organization of their choice.
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One of those organizations is Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley, which in the last 11 years has raised $400,000 for Avenues for Hope.
"We started 11 years ago, and we made $9,500, and then we doubled and doubled, and it has become one of our major fundraisers for the year," Fleming added.
Everything raised for Avenues for Hope will go towards providing critical resources for the Idaho Housing Foundation, ensuring those in need have access to safe, stable, affordable housing and supportive services.
In Twin Falls, Habitat for Humanity has already received 250 housing assistance requests for the coming year. This makes charitable donations more important than ever.
"We have people living in our beautiful canyons, and they deserve better. And that's what this event, and all of us, are trying to do— is do better for our communities," Fleming said.
Stats provided by Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley
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