Cosign

  House Your Neighbor Co-Signer Program

Creating Housing Equity and Building Financial Resilience for New Americans

WHAT WE NEED

Individuals with a willingness to help, a clear background, and an above-average credit score to cosign on a house or apartment with a newly arrived refugee or refugee family.

The Idaho Office for Refugees is prepared to financially back this program and ensure that the cosigner will not be responsible for the application fees, unpaid rent, late fees, or damages.

WHY

Housing Crisis: Available, affordable housing is at an all-time low across the region.

Credit Score: Newly arrived refugees have not yet had the chance to build a U.S. credit score; a key requirement for most rental applications

GOALS

Safety, Security, Community: This program allows newly arrived refugees the chance to begin their new lives in a safe, secure environment, with community support from the Idaho Office for Refugees and our local resettlement agencies

Build Credit! Within one year, we hope that individuals in this program will have created and built their credit scores and can become the primary leaseholders. They will be able to lease on their own with independence and self-sufficiency.

About The Program

The Idaho Office for Refugees (IOR), with its partner resettlement agencies, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Agency for New Americans (ANA), and U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), is excited to announce the launching of a new co-signing program.

This program allows individuals like you to offer your healthy credit score and background, to newly arrived refugees, while having the financial backing of the Idaho Office for Refugees. The IOR is committed to ensuring that there is no financial burden on the co-signer should there be any rent defaults, home damages, or any other potential risk factor (though we have full faith in our clients that this will not be the case).

When you cosign on a lease, you're making a promise to uphold the terms of the lease and to pay rent if the lessee does not. With the House Your Neighbor Cosigning program, IOR adds an extra layer of security across the board. IOR will protect the cosigner, the tenant, and work in partnership with the property manager. 

Each tenant enrolled in the program has direct case worker support throughout the program. Should the tenant or landlord experience any difficulties or need support, we are there! We will ensure that this process is smooth and seamless for everyone. 

This is such an exciting opportunity to help someone get a safe, and stable start to their new life in Boise. We can’t wait for you to be a part of it.

How does the process work?

1.     You fill out the cosigner commitment form below

2.     We match you to one of our clients from a refugee background in need of help securing housing

      Once an available property has been secured, we will contact you and connect you with the property manager

      The property manager will request a background check for you.

3.     Once approved, You sign the lease as the cosigner

4.     Our client signs the lease as the tenant

5.     IOR and the Cosigner sign an additional document detailing the financial commitment of IOR to the cosigner and the program.

5.     IOR will handle the rest!

We will stay in touch with the client and the landlord to ensure a positive relationship and experience for everyone. 

Cosigner Commitment Information

What we will need from you:

• A credit score of 700 or above
• Monthly income of $3,500 or more
• Be available within 24 hours of a call from IOR or partner agencies to sign a lease. This is often done electronically but sometimes in person. (We will always do our best to give more notice than this, but often it is the most notice that we receive as well)
• Contact Jennie Buley at the Idaho Office for Refugees immediately if you are contacted by the landlord about any issues or concerns with the tenant or property.

Please fill out the form below if you feel this would be a good fit for you or would like to learn more.

For other FAQ's, click here.