Nonprofit Housing Counseling & Education Services in Idaho
*Currently Available to Residents of the State of Idaho. This program will be expanding in the future.
It is human nature to long for a stable home that offers shelter from life’s physical and symbolic storms. Housing fills that yearning, and as one of just three physical survival needs we can satisfy through financial means, it makes up an important part of a healthy and safe life. A growing body of twenty-first-century research and programs has found housing to occupy such an important place among all human needs and wants that it is beginning to take precedence over work placement, addiction recovery, job training, and financial education.
We also believe in the primacy of housing, whether securing it for the first time on our own or maintaining it in trying times, be it through ownership or as a renter. For this reason, we have long offered counseling and education to help individuals and families secure and remain in stable homes.
Our counseling and learning sessions address the basics of homeownership, qualifying for a mortgage or rental application, building credit, avoiding predatory lending, understanding homeowner insurance, preparing for homeownership expenses such as maintenance and repairs, and being aware of your rights as a renter or borrower.
Housing Financial Education
Home Fit offers the following services that promote stable and appropriate housing in Idaho:
Financial Management and Budget Counseling
Financial, Budgeting, and Credit Workshops
Our primary products for providing these services include the following free, 60-minute online courses:
Financial Essential: Family and Self-sufficiency
Credit to You: The Basics of Credit Histories, Reports, and Scores
Find other financial education courses at https://courses.moneyfit.org.
Housing Counseling
We offer free counseling related to these same topics via phone, email, or zoom. Whether through our education or counseling services, participants will assess and be better prepared to qualify for an apartment, a mortgage, or to deal with financial emergencies as a homeowner.
Contact our housing counseling and education manager, Todd Christensen, at 208-286-3283 for additional information, or send him an email at todd@moneyfit.org.
Housing Calculators
Take advantage of our many housing-related calculators. They are all free and easy to use. None of our calculators require you to submit personally identifying information. Check them out here:
Apartment Moving Budget Calculator
Debt-to-Income Calculator for College Students
Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator
Home Fit FAQs
Who is Home Fit?
Home Fit is the HUD-approved housing counseling and education program offered by Debt Reduction Services, Inc. through its Money Fit website.
What housing services does Home Fit offer?
Home Fit offers the following services related to housing:
Budgeting and financial management counseling
Financial, budgeting, and credit workshops
How does Home Fit provide its housing counseling and education services?
Home Fit provides its counseling education services through online programs, video chat programs, phone, and email.
What areas does Home Fit serve?
Home Fit offers its counseling and education services nationwide. However, its HUD-approved services are available in all counties of the state of Idaho.
Are there income requirements or limitations for receiving Home Fit counseling and education services?
There are no income requirements or limitations for accessing our counseling or education services.
Are there fees associated with Home Fit counseling and education services?
Currently, we offer our budgeting and financial management counseling services at no cost. Additionally, we offer several financial, budgeting, and credit workshops for free.
Home Fit expects to offer pre-purchase homeownership and other housing-related workshops in the future for nominal fees.
Does Home Fit offer financial assistance, monetary support, or emergency relief funds for housing?
We do not provide any financial assistance or monetary payments to our clients. We may, however, offer information about and referrals to agencies where such support is offered for help with housing.
Do you offer legal assistance to help renters facing eviction?
We do not have any attorneys on staff and do not offer legal advice. Please see your local Legal Aid Society for assistance in affording legal counsel.
Is Home Fit a traditional or reverse mortgage lender?
Home Fit is not a lender and is not a mortgage broker. Home Fit can help clients evaluate loan options, navigate the lending process, and understand their housing rights and protections related to housing.
Does Home Fit provide Section 8 housing vouchers?
Home Fit partners with area housing authorities that provide housing vouchers. Home Fit does not offer housing vouchers.
Additional Debt Management Service
When excessive or otherwise overwhelming debts play a role in your housing challenges, a debt management plan from Money Fit provides you with the chance to work with a debt management professional to create a strategy and plan for paying off your debts in five years or less.
Our personalized solutions to your debt challenges can help you in many areas of your life:
Relieve your financial stress
Prepare for a down payment
Save for an apartment security deposit and last month’s rent
Increase your chances of qualifying for a startup business loan
We work with tens of thousands of individuals and couples each year to regain financial control of their lives, offer guidance, and provide resources to help them reach their financial goals.
Learn More About Our Credit Counseling and Debt Management Program