BONNER COUNTY, Idaho — Families in Priest River will soon move into six new townhomes, but who they are has yet to be determined.
The 1,545 square foot homes will feature three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and are part of a development located in the Village at River View subdivision off Potlatch Loop.
The homes are part of a land trust that aims to give low-income families an opportunity to own a home.
The future owners will be decided by a lottery, open to families of three living in Bonner County who meet other specific eligibility requirements.
“There’s lots of studies that show home ownership creates stability. When you’re renting, you’re not sure if your rent is going to change year to year, or month to month. You know stability when you’ve owned the home,” said Ben McGrann, the project manager.
Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT), LEAP Housing and Bonner Community Housing Agency (BHCA) are the agencies behind the development and built the homes without any government funding.
“So far, there’s been over 40 people that have filled out the interest form, but those who have qualified through the mortgage process is only about half a dozen or so,” McGrann said.
The total household income for eligible families has to be between roughly $50,000 and $70,000, per year.
Certain things can also increase a family’s chances in the lottery.
“If you have lived in the area longer, you get more lottery points. So, we wanted it to be for people who have been in the community for a while, and they’ve been trying to get a home, but they couldn’t afford it,” McGrann said.
For more information and to see if your family qualifies, visit www.leaphousing.org.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
