COEUR D’ALENE - Property owners, managers and landlords in northern Idaho are encouraged to attend a free workshop regarding Fair Housing on July 23 (Monday), sponsored by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association. The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. at the Kootenai Medical Center Education Building, 2003 Lincoln Way in Coeur d’Alene. Workshop seating is limited and those planning to attend are encouraged to reserve space by contacting IHFA’s Coeur d’Alene office at 208-667-3380.

Judith Keeler—with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Equal Opportunity office—will discuss three main Fair Housing issues:

• The difference between pets and companion or service animals.
• Defining familial status and how it affects the number of individuals living in a household or sharing bedrooms.
• Why landlords cannot refuse tenant-paid disability accommodations to the rental unit.

IHFA administers Section 8 Rental Assistance on behalf of HUD in 34 of Idaho’s 44 counties. Last fiscal year, IHFA administered over $2.1 million in Housing Assistance Payments to participating North Idaho landlords in the Section 8 Program, benefiting more than 825 low-income households. To be eligible for rental assistance, households must qualify under HUD income limits and pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross monthly income for rent and utilities.

IHFA’s four branch offices, located in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls, administer the Section 8 program. Landlord workshops are coordinated semi-annually by each office.

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The Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a financial services and housing organization, provides funding for affordable housing in Idaho communities where they are most needed and when it is economically feasible. IHFA uses no state funds or state employees to support its operations. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ihfa.org.