BOISE HOUSING PILOT FAQS

general

Q: What is LEAP Housing?
A: LEAP Housing was started in 2016 by Bart Cochran, a Boise realtor, who saw vulnerable populations unable to access stable, affordable homes. We are an Idaho-based nonprofit that believes all people deserve an opportunity to access safe, affordable and decent housing. Our mission is to develop and preserve affordable housing while providing empowering services that lead to greater housing stability.

Q. What is the background on why the City of Boise is conducting this pilot?
A. The City of Boise participated in the Harvard-Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative Innovation Track with a focus on identifying creative new solutions to housing affordability in Boise. Based on its extensive, people-centered research and testing, the team recommended that the city fund and evaluate innovative housing pilot programs.

Q. What is the RV and THOW Pilot?
A. The City will grant temporary legal status to qualifying applicants who wish to host an RV or Tiny Home on Wheels at their home. The legal status will last as long as the permit allows. Permits begin at 12 months and may be extended an additional 6 months.

Q. Am I required to notify my neighbors?
A. Yes, landlords of either RVs or tiny homes on wheels are required to send a notification to neighbors using a list provided by the City of Boise.

Q. What resources/support will I receive when participating in the pilot?
A. The City will provide resources to participating homeowners, including help with permitting, an exemption for certain city impact fees, and technical assistance from LEAP Housing.

Q. If I participate, am I required to rent to residents who are income limited?
A. HUD defines affordable housing as any housing that is restricted to households at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). While we encourage affordable rent rates, it is not a requirement for renting tiny homes on wheels or RVs. Moreover, this is an experimental housing pilot that is designed to collect feedback on appropriate rates for RVs and tiny homes on wheels. Because there is no true market, finding comparable rents is difficult. LEAP provides potential landlords with guidance.

Q. What neighborhoods will allow an RV or THOW?
A. Any neighborhood that zoned to allow an ADU is an allowable neighborhood.

RV Pilot

Q. What RVs are allowed?
A. All RVs must be in good working order, and owners of the RV must show evidence of ownership. Camper shells are not allowed. Soft-top, soft-wall and pop-up trailers are not allowed. Otherwise, the “term” RV is governed by state law and can include fifth wheels, motorhomes, etc.

Q. What must the RV “pad” have?
A. Eligible RVs for this program must have an improved parking surface at the time of occupancy, and they must include a dedicated electrical connection, i.e. usually a 30 amp or 50 amp service. Sewer and water hookups are encouraged. Sewer and water hookups are not required, but other conditions apply.

Q. What alternatives to sewer and water hookups are allowed?
A. Standard hookups are allowed. Sewage pumping services are allowed. Dumping into sewer drains is illegal in all circumstances. Non-standard hookups or accommodations include a heated water hose connection from the primary dwelling to the RV and free access to the primary dwelling to use either water or sewer utilities.

Q. Am I required to have a lease?
A. Yes. The program is open for continual or sporadic occupancy of an RV during the duration of the permit; however, the shortest stay allowed is 31 days. Short term rentals are not allowed and are defined as any stay less than 31 days. Every stay must be documented with a lease and an approved Pilot addendum.

Q. Am I required to charge rent?
A. No, but you must have a lease. Family members, close friends or others who may enjoy the opportunity provided by the City for legal occupancy of an RV must sign a lease. All participants must have a firm understanding of what amenities are available on the site and available to the RV occupant.

Q. What is the Pilot NOT?
A. For the avoidance of doubt, the Pilot is not intended to provide short term rentals similar to those that are listed on popular vacation rental websites. The Pilot is also temporary in nature. Permanent legal occupancy can only be granted through municipal legislation.

Q. There is funding available for the Tiny Home on Wheels (THOW) Pilot. What about the RV pilot?
A. No, there is no grant funding available for the execution of the RV pilot. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to exercise an abundance of caution by calculating the risk of paying for improvements to their site vs. the amount of rent they may receive, Preference will be given to applicants who already have an RV and already have hookups and already have occupants in mind

Tiny homes on wheels (THOW) Pilot

Q. What's a moveable tiny home?

A. A moveable tiny home is a small housing unit (400 square feet or less) on a trailer that can be transported from one site to another. Moveable tiny homes differ from recreational vehicles (RVs) in that they are made of traditional housing materials and are designed to look like a conventional home.

Q. What are some tiny home requirements as a part of the pilot?
A. The moveable tiny homes would be required to sit on a gravel pad or other suitable foundation and be connected to utilities (water, sewer, electrical). Sewer cleanouts are acceptable and so are heated water hose connections between the THOW and the primary dwelling. In most cases a 30-amp or 50-amp service is required for a THOW, but independent power sources are allowed as well.

Q. Is there grant money available to defer the costs of site improvements for THOWs?
A. Yes, there is a limited amount of funding available for the Pilot. Funding is intended to defer the costs of improving sites to the appropriate level needed for utilities. Permit fees and hard costs are also eligible for reimbursement subject to fund availability. Documentation and processes must be followed in order to be eligible for and to receive reimbursement.