(C) Idaho Capital Sun
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Summer shouldn’t push Idaho's working parents to the brink of homelessness • Idaho Capital Sun [1]
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Date: 2025-07-16
For many, summer evokes images of vacations, barbecues and family time. But for working parents, especially those living paycheck to paycheck, summer is one of the most financially stressful times of the year.
As housing and living costs rise nationwide, a less-discussed reality is that summer often pushes families to the edge of housing instability. Rent, utilities, and child care don’t take a vacation, but school does. And when classrooms close for three months, so do the critical support systems families rely on to stay afloat.
Child care costs pose a significant challenge for many parents, especially in summer. For families assisted by Jesse Tree, a nonprofit serving Ada and Canyon counties with homelessness prevention, child care ranks among their highest expenses. Parents often face full-time care costs they can’t absorb when school is out. Summer camps range from $500 to $1,800 per child, per session. Camps are often short-term, leaving families scrambling for coverage the rest of the summer, and even one session is too costly for low-income families.
Food access becomes more uncertain during the summer. During the school year, many children access free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs. When those meals disappear, families are forced to stretch already tight grocery budgets. The connection between housing instability and basic needs like food is clear. Between January and June 2025, Jesse Tree surveyed 469 clients – over 52% reported “always, often, or sometimes” struggling with food insecurity. While some programs like the Boys and Girls Club provide free weekday meals to kids during the summer, families still face logistical challenges around getting their children to and from these sites while juggling jobs and transportation costs.
Transportation costs spike in the summer. According to KTVB, Idaho gas prices jumped 21 cents in one week. For working families, commuting, grocery shopping, and childcare can quickly become unaffordable. On top of that, utility bills rise as air conditioners hum through long, hot days, and Idaho Power proposed to increase rates by an additional 7-8% this summer (Idaho Press). This steady rise in utility and gas expenses impacts lower-income families who can barely make ends meet.
The deeper issue is systemic. Our economic and housing infrastructure isn’t built to support families through seasonal disruptions. The school year provides more than education. It offers structure, nutrition, safety, and predictability. Once school ends, the stability it offers fades, and there are minimal resources, like public care subsidies, offered in its place. Affordable housing remains scarce. Employers often lack family-friendly flexibility, and public benefits remain inflexible and underfunded.
If we’re serious about supporting families, we need policies that address the year-round realities they face. That includes expanding funding for summer meal programs, subsidized child care, and affordable housing. We need employers to adopt flexible scheduling and remote work options, support paid family leave, and embrace child tax credits that ease seasonal burdens.
We must stop treating summer as a luxury season. For millions of working parents, it’s a financial emergency. And no season, especially one meant for growth and play, should come at the cost of housing security.
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