FAQs

The Treasure Valley, which includes Boise, has experienced a growing issue of homelessness for over a decade, but significantly more so in recent years. According to the latest statistics available from 2022, there were around 4,000 people, including children, experiencing homelessness in the area.

In the US, there were about 582,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2022. The cities with the largest numbers of people experiencing homelessness were Los Angeles City & County (65,111) and New York City (61,840). Seattle/King County had around 13,368 people and Denver had 6,884 people. There are twelve cities in the US that had over 5,000 people experiencing homelessness within their boundaries in 2022. The Treasure Valley is experiencing homelessness rates similar to Spokane and Tacoma Washington.

Homelessness numbers tend to increase the most in areas where rent rates are high, vacancy rates are low and new housing is difficult to build (due to geography, regulations, etc.). The communities that are generally considered the best at ending homelessness within the homelessness services world are Houston, Texas and Helsinki (Finland). These communities have done incredible work by bringing lots of public and private stakeholders to the table, being early adopters of housing first practices, and building housing with appropriate support provided for the tenants.
Homelessness in the Treasure Valley is caused by a severe shortage of affordable housing. Housing costs have more than doubled in the last couple of years, but income has only increased by thirty percent.

The solution to ending homelessness is ensuring that there is enough accessible housing available to households in each income bracket (low, moderate, high incomes), and providing supportive services for those who need them. The solution itself is actually pretty simple!

If you encounter a homeless individual in need of assistance, you can call 208-336-HOME (4663), or emailing ourpathhome@catchprogram.org. Our staff can help access information and provide referrals to local social services. In an emergency, call 911 for immediate assistance.

CATCH collaborates with local government agencies, nonprofits, and community partners to address homelessness in Boise. We know that it takes a village to end homelessness and that the more specialized our services, the more focus we can put on performing with excellence. Whenever those we serve need specialized resources or care, we actively work to create partnerships to meet those needs.

CATCH’s vision is to end homelessness in the Treasure Valley. Period. We want to create a Treasure Valley where every neighbor has a home to call their own, and where any person who falls into homelessness is rapidly housed and given the support to ensure they are never without a home again. Specifically, our long-term initiatives include expanding our housing first programs and creatively increasing access to healthcare services to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Treasure Valley.