Fair housing grant cut affecting Idaho Legal Aid Services

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts have had a major impact at the federal level already, but they’ve had an effect at the state level as well.

Idaho Legal Aid Services Inc. provides free services to low-income individuals. What makes up 85% of their funding is grants from the Federal Government, but also from the state. Normally, they receive a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that’s worth nearly $125,000. however. Kathleen Arnold, the organization’s managing attorney in Twin Falls, said that won’t be the case this year.

“Our executive director received a letter on the evening of February 27th, from HUD, that stated that DOGE had reviewed the grants under the federal housing and had cancelled, had directed HUD to cancel the grants,” Arnold said.

This decision is already having an impact on Idaho Legal Aid Services. Arnold said they were going to use the grant to educate Idahoans about fair housing law.

“We had planned to provide legal advice directly to at least 500 Idahoans, and then our outreach materials and education was going to over $150,000,” Arnold explained.

This included hosting seminars and classes for the community about housing rights, such as explaining evictions and foreclosures, and what can count as discrimination. This also would have included informational brochures and other materials.

Despite it only making up three percent of their funding, the cuts are severe. Executive Director Sunrise Ayers said another service taking a hit is their housing help hot line, which provides free legal housing advice to people.

“We staffed 35 calls per week on our housing hot line, and 70% of that funding came from this FHIP Grant. So after that funding ended, we had to cut hot line hours and cut hot line spots that were available, and it was about a 43% cut,” Ayers said.

Ayers said now they’ll only be able to offer the hot line three days a week. The number of appointment slots has dropped from 35 to 20.

Arnold is concerned how this will impact her clients.

“Without this funding, it is harder for us to get the word out there to help people understand what their rights are in public housing. Now we’re much more restricted on income level for who we can help,” Arnold said.

Arnold explained some of the grants they received have guidelines on which income groups they are allowed to help, and the loss of that grant means they can’t help as many people as they want.

Ayers said it means people who are out of the income guidelines will have to reach out to a private attorney and pay money instead of getting free help.

Idaho Legal Aid Services is looking for other grants to apply for and accepting donations. Those wanting to donate can click here.

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