Housing Heroes Profile: In Memoriam of Dama Overstreet

The Housing Heroes profile series covers LEAP’s advocates and major donors who advance the mission of affordable housing in Idaho. The gift in memoriam of Dama is one of eight donations offering matching funds to all donations in the month of December during Avenues for Hope. To utilize the match in memoriam of Dama, visit our Avenues for Hope donation page.

Dama is the ultimate Idaho Housing Hero. Let’s put it this way. If there were a Walk of Fame for housing, she’d have the first star. And the second one.

She was simply prolific. 

For starters, Dama was the longest-standing (1980 - 2003) Executive Director of what eventually became the Ada County Association of Realtors (ACAR) and now is the Boise Regional Realtors (BRR). The Boise Regional Realtors is a big deal. It is the pre-eminent education and training association for realtors in Idaho. 

There’s not actually a university-level institution for Idaho realtors, but Dama would’ve been the Dean if there were. 

Through her leadership, real estate agents gained the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service (iMLS). If you’ve bought or sold a home in recent memory, you can almost guarantee that the iMLS was involved. With the iMLS, realtors are able to create and share precisely accurate real estate data. 

It’s not just homeowners that rely on iMLS data, though. It’s also public officials making decisions about economic policies. The iMLS is so big now that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of BRR.

Dama’s influence went beyond training and into the community. Dama’s early work in lobbying with the then-known Boise Board of Realtors tremendously influenced the state legislature. By overseeing the creation of the REALTORS® Community Foundation in 1995, she provided a way for the industry to give back to the community. To date, $1.8M has been awarded through the foundation. 

She also served as a board member of NeighborWorks Boise, Capital City Development Corporation, Better Business Bureau, National Association of Realtors. On the ground she invested time into the Boise Junior League and the BJL Sustainers. She loved giving back by serving at women and children’s organizations.

“Dama was passionate about raising women up,” her daughter Mary Overstreet said. “She was a proponent of education for women, adult education, women’s rights and affordable housing.” 

What would Dama say if she could say anything to us today? Mary knows. 

“Stand up for everyone’s rights. Because the next rights they come for just might be yours.”

Dama would be so appreciative if any donations made in her honor be made to LEAP Housing where her daughter is hoping to continue her work in providing dignified, affordable housing throughout Idaho. 

Note: The above article was taken from a full obituary written by Mary Overstreet. To view the full obituary, click here.