Record fundraiser boosts North Idaho housing nonprofits and services

Idaho’s annual Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge closed its 15th year with a record $6.1 million raised for housing-focused nonprofits, a 17 percent increase over the previous high and support for 106 organizations statewide. The campaign wrapped up on January 10, 2026, after mobilizing thousands of donors and directing fresh resources to front-line providers.

“Housing access and affordability are major concerns across the nation,” said Gerald M. Hunter, president of Idaho Housing. “The Avenues for Hope fundraiser each December is a vital resource to help address these issues in our state.”

In North Idaho, 20 nonprofits secured $808,831 of that total. The largest local recipients were Family Promise of the Palouse with $327,791, Bonner County Homeless Task Force/Bonner Homeless Transitions with $111,009, and St. Vincent de Paul of North Idaho with $96,180. Other local organizations that received funds included Bonner Community Housing Agency; CDAIDE, Inc.; Family Promise North Idaho; Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho; HomeShare Kootenai County, Inc.; Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity; and Lake Pend Oreille School District.

The fundraiser drew more than 7,100 participants, produced a 25 percent jump in new donors, and generated a record 7,900 individual contributions. Organizers and providers describe the influx as timely: nearly 10,000 Idahoans sought help for homelessness in the past year, and tens of thousands more struggled to afford suitable housing for their families. Survivors of domestic violence, children and veterans were among those seeking assistance.

For Kootenai County the dollars translate into immediate relief for shelters, rapid rehousing and prevention programs that can stop a household from entering homelessness. Smaller agencies that rely on one-time drives often use these funds to cover operational gaps, expand outreach and stabilize short-term services that local government budgets do not consistently fund.

The scale of giving also carries policy implications. A surge in donors and contributions signals heightened community concern that can influence local priorities, from funding lines in county budgets to planning and zoning decisions affecting affordable housing supply. Annual fundraising, however, cannot substitute for predictable, long-term revenue streams such as housing trust funds, rental assistance budgets, or coordinated county-state strategies to preserve and produce affordable units.

The public engagement around Avenues for Hope is a civic asset: more donors expand the political base for housing policy change and give local officials evidence voters care about affordability and shelter. That dynamic can inform upcoming commission meetings, budget debates, and candidates’ platforms in Kootenai County.

Our two cents? Track how these new dollars are spent, show up to county budget and planning sessions, and press for predictable funding that turns this annual generosity into sustained prevention and housing production that keeps people housed.