Boise, Idaho – Idaho Legal Aid Services (ILAS) and Intermountain Fair Housing Council (IFHC) announce the sudden termination of their Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On the evening of February 27, 2025, HUD notified both organizations that they were to suspend program-related activities immediately – effectively halting critical fair housing efforts without notice. The termination of this critical funding will significantly curtail assistance to low-income families, seniors, and veterans.

For ILAS, the original FHIP award of $124,799 was set to fund fair housing education, outreach, and legal assistance. IFHC’s funding totaled $508,946 and supported wide-ranging initiatives, from complaint investigations to community training sessions. Both organizations have consistently received excellent performance ratings in every prior grant evaluation and did not receive any information regarding why their grants had been selected for termination.

“This sudden loss of funding undermines our ability to combat housing discrimination and provide legal services for those who need them most,” said Sunrise Ayers, Executive Director of Idaho Legal Aid Services. “ILAS has expended over 700 staff hours to achieve our grant objectives during this program period. Now, that work is effectively unfunded and leaves countless Idahoans vulnerable.”

Prior to the termination, ILAS and IFHC were on track to provide vital legal and educational services to thousands of residents across the state. Together, they planned to distribute informational materials, create media campaigns, expand hotline support, and conduct fair housing outreach events. The abrupt cancellation has forced both nonprofits to close active cases, scale back services, and cancel vendor contracts that support local economies.

“The termination of these grants – without warning or a clear explanation – has left Idaho renters, homeowners, and prospective tenants in limbo,” said Zoe Ann Olson, Executive Director of Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc. “We are now calling on our elected officials and community partners to identify alternative resources so that fair housing protections remain strong and accessible in Idaho.”

ILAS and IFHC have reached out to Idaho’s congressional delegation, requesting information on a potential path forward that ensures continued fair housing services. Community members and partner organizations seeking more information or wishing to offer support are encouraged to contact Evan Curry, Idaho Legal Aid Services’ Development Director, at 208-807-2214 or evancurry@idaholegalaid.org or Peg Richards, Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc. Education Director, at 208-383-0695 or at prichards@ifhcidaho.org.

About Idaho Legal Aid Services (ILAS)

Founded in 1967, Idaho Legal Aid Services is the state’s largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to providing free civil legal representation to low-income residents, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and seniors. With seven offices serving all 44 counties in Idaho, ILAS helps thousands of people secure fair access to housing, healthcare, and protection under the law.

About Intermountain Fair Housing Council (IFHC)

Founded in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, Intermountain Fair Housing Council advocates for open and inclusive housing through education, outreach, eviction prevention, and the enforcement of fair housing laws. By partnering with local communities, IFHC strives to end discrimination in all forms of housing across all 44 counties in Idaho, ensuring that every resident has a safe, stable place to call home.

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Immediate Release—March 5, 2025 Idaho Nonprofits Announce Abrupt Termination of HUD Fair Housing Grants

Thousands of Idahoans will be Affected by the Loss of Funding for Fair Housing Boise, Idaho – Intermountain Fair Housing Council (IFHC) announced the sudden termination of their Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On the evening of February 27, 2025, HUD notified IFHC that they were to suspend program-related activities immediately – effectively halting critical fair housing efforts without notice. The termination of this critical funding will significantly curtail assistance to low-income families, people with disabilities, seniors, and veterans. IFHC’s funding loss totaled $508,946 and supported wide-ranging initiatives, from complaint investigations to community training sessions. The organization has consistently received excellent performance ratings in prior grant evaluations for thirty plus years. And did not receive any information regarding why their grants had been selected for termination. Prior to the termination, IFHC was on track to provide vital legal and educational services to thousands of residents across the state. Together, they planned to distribute informational materials, create media campaigns, expand hotline support, and conduct fair housing outreach events. The abrupt cancellation has forced both nonprofits to close active cases, scale back services, and cancel vendor contracts that support local economies. “The termination of these grants – without warning or a clear explanation – has left Idaho renters, homeowners, and prospective tenants in limbo,” said Zoe Ann Olson, Executive Director of Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc. “We are now calling on our elected officials and community partners to identify alternative resources so that fair housing protections remain strong and accessible in Idaho.” IFHC has reached out to Idaho’s congressional delegation, requesting information on a potential path forward that ensures continued fair housing services. Community members and partner organizations seeking more information or wishing to offer support are encouraged to contact Peg Richards, Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc. Education Director, at 208-383-0695 or at prichards@ifhcidaho.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 4, 2025 Thousands of Idahoans will be Affected by the Loss of Funding for Fair Housing

Since January 27, 2025, thousands of non-profit organizations around the country, including Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc., who provide essential housing advocacy and support services to the most vulnerable people in our communities have had their grant payments frozen for already awarded federal grant funds and future awards.

Late on Monday, January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo directing most federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, the funding freeze was stayed by a federal court judge, and on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, OMB rescinded the memo.

While the OMB rescinded the memo on January 29, 2025, the White House press secretary wrote on social media the same day that the OMB’s action was “NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze,” but “a rescission of the OMB memo,” and the Trump administration’s executive orders “on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.”

While our funding portals have been opened, the funding has not been released to pay us for the work performed under our federal contracts.

IFHC’s services are free to the public because of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funding. The Intermountain Fair Housing Council (IFHC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure open and inclusive housing for all persons. The IFHC attempts to eradicate discrimination through eviction prevention and education on fair housing laws, housing information and referral, housing counseling, and assistance with mediating and or filing fair housing complaints, among other things. The IFHC also provides education and outreach on fair housing laws and practices to housing providers and others.

IFHC assists thousands of people each year to find solutions to housing issues re: discrimination, instability, inaccessibility, unaffordability and unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

Most people we serve are elderly, have disabilities, are on a fixed income, and/or living in poverty. Annually we respond to and assist:

• Between 2000 & 3000 intake callers and visitors needing help with housing crises,

• With advocacy for more than 800 households with fair housing barriers,

• With over 66 reasonable accommodation and modification requests for people with disabilities in 2024, and

• With education to over 200,000 Idahoans a year.

IFHC has unpaid expenditures of $260,000 for activities already conducted under HUD grants, pre-paid out of our own operating expenses pursuant to signed agreements for HUD reimbursement. This is about three months of salaries, taxes, and benefits (e.g., health insurance) for 10 full-time employees. This freeze on grant funds already earned threatens IFHC’s ability to serve our community and our existence.

For over three decades, IFHC has been awarded competitive performance-based HUD grants to fund our work across the entire State of Idaho regardless of political party in the White House. Currently, IFHC has HUD grant applications pending which are essential to continuation of our activities after our current grants end on June 30, 2025. Without continued federal support, IFHC will be unable to assist thousands of people who seek our help accessing and retaining shelter, housing, and homeownership.

Please, consider reaching out to Idaho Congressmen and Senators to help Idahoans by asking them to release our payments and make future payments for work performed and review pending grant applications needed to continue essential work to prevent evictions and address housing discrimination to give Idahoans just access to housing during an affordable housing crisis:

Senator Risch 202-224-2752 or email at E-mail – James E Risch, U.S. Senator for Idaho;

Senator Crapo at 202-224-6142 or email at Email Me | U.S. Senator Mike Crapo;

Congressman Simpson at 202-225-5531 or email at Contact | U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson – 2nd District of Idaho;

Congressman Fulcher at 202-225-6611 or email at Email Me | Congressman Russ Fulcher.

Thank you for your support and making a one-time or recurring tax-deductible donation to help sustain our work for Idahoans: https://ifhcidaho.org/donations/donate-help-fight-discrimination/ .

For more information, contact:

Zoe Olson, Executive Director, 208-383-0695 zolson@ifhcidaho.org

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Immediate Release—January 31, 2025 Federal Funding Still Frozen