Boise City Housing Authority

Waiting Lists

Learn more about Boise City Housing Authority.

Closed: Boise City and Ada County, Idaho Section 8 HCV

The Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority (BCACHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed.

The BCACHA last accepted Section 8 HCV applications for this waiting list on a limited basis from January 10, 2022 until February 10, 2022. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

Please note: According to the BCACHA, "Due to limited funding availability, the BCACHA will only be opening the waiting list to applicants that meet the following local preferences. Applicants must meet all of the qualifications in order to be eligible for the lottery.

  • Head of Household must be over 18 years of age; AND
  • Must be low-income (50% or below Area Median Income); AND
  • Must qualify for the Idaho residency preference (a family qualifies if the family lives, works, or has been hired to work within the state of Idaho); AND
  • Must meet at least one of the following definitions:
    • Head of household, co-head or spouse are age 62 or older; or
    • Head of household, co-head or spouse is disabled; or
    • Families with children under the age of 18

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application. Paper applications were not available and applicants were not able to apply in person.

The maximum income limit for each household size were as follows:

  • 1 Person- $26,400 | 5 Person-$40,700
  • 2 Person- $30,150 | 6 Person-$43,700
  • 3 Person- $33,900 | 7 Person-$46,700
  • 4 Person- $37,650 | 8 Person-$49,700

The waiting list had the following preferences:

  • Idaho residents
  • Elderly
  • Disabled
  • Families with children

2,500 applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, weighed by order of preferences.

For more information, visit the BCACHA website.

Sources: This information was verified by the BCACHA public notice on January 10, 2022.

Service Area

This waiting list is for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance in Boise City and Ada County, Idaho.

Last Updated on 07/10/2022.

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Closed: Boise City Housing Authority Public Housing

The Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority (BC/ACHA) is not accepting Public Housing waiting list applications at this time.

For more information, visit the BC/ACHA website, or call the office at (208) 345-4907.

Last Updated on 04/04/2018.

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Closed: Section 8 New Construction Low-Income

The Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority (BC/ACHA) Section 8 New Construction waiting list is currently closed. It was last open in May, 2019. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

Please note: This is NOT the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

For more information, visit the BC/ACHA website.

Last Updated on 07/01/2019.

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Closed: Scattered Sites Low-Income

The Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority (BC/ACHA) is not accepting Scattered Sites waiting list applications at this time.

For more information, visit the BC/ACHA website, or call the office at (208) 345-4907.

Last Updated on 04/04/2018.

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About Boise City Housing Authority

1001 South Orchard Street, Boise, ID | Visit Website | (208) 345-4907

Boise City Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 1,539 low and moderate income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing programs..

Housing Authority Jurisdiction

Low-income housing managed by Boise City Housing Authority is located in Ada County, ID.

Households with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher managed by this housing authority must rent within its jurisdiction.

About the Boise City Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Boise City Housing Authority manages 1,207 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following table summarizes types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2021:

Standard Homeownership Family Unification Ported Out VASH Non-Elderly Disabled
Vouchers 914 11 4 15 161 102
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $603 $629 $719 $1,084 $519 $552
Monthly Cost $551,353 $6,920 $2,874 $16,259 $83,583 $56,352
Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 19% having issued approximately 65 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 7 years0 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 12 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.2 persons and has a household income of $13,260 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 70% were extremely low income (ELI). 23% of households had wages as a major source of income, 1% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 72% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

2% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 47% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 29% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 22% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

38% of households included children, 12% of which had two adults in the household. 29% of households with children have a female head of household. 64% of all households were headed by a female.

23% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 10% of all heads of households being Black and 0% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Boise City Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 35% include at least one person with a disability. 63% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 88% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

35% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 38% with 2 bedrooms and 26% with 3 or more bedrooms. 20% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Boise City Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $353 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $583. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $108.

1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.