July 2026

Boise Regional Realtors Roadshow

Trevor Yarnell, McAllister Hall, Lantz McGinnis-Brown

IPI hit the road last month, presenting at four community events throughout Southwestern Idaho. In partnership with Boise Regional Realtors, team members presented on realty trends over the past year, analyzing data on mortgage rates, median sales price, inventory, and much more. Read our monthly analysis here: Boise Realtors June 2026 Market Report

Fry Featured on National Podcast Exploring Homelessness Solutions

Vanessa Fry

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry, associate research professor in the School of Public Service and cofounder of the Idaho Policy Institute, was recently featured as a guest on the national podcast Ending Homelessness: What Is To Be Done?, hosted by anthropologist and homelessness researcher Vin Lyon-Callo. The podcast brings together leading researchers, advocates, and practitioners from across the country to discuss evidence-based approaches to preventing and ending homelessness.

In the episode, Boise, Idaho: Homelessness and Housing in a Boom Town, Fry discusses Boise’s rapidly changing housing landscape, the drivers of homelessness in fast-growing communities, and the importance of data-informed, cross-sector partnerships in developing effective responses. Drawing on years of community-engaged research, she shares insights from Boise State’s work with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and regional partners to evaluate housing initiatives and improve outcomes for individuals and families experiencing housing instability.

The episode highlights Boise State’s commitment to applied research that informs public policy and strengthens communities across Idaho and beyond.

Listen to the episode: Boise, Idaho: Homelessness and Housing in a Boom Town.

Fry Leads Community Impact Workshop for Community Development Leaders

Vanessa Fry

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry, associate research professor in the School of Public Service and cofounder of the Idaho Policy Institute, recently led a workshop at the Community Development Institute (CDI) West, where she introduced the Community Impact Blueprint — a practical framework designed to help organizations and communities strengthen the planning, measurement, and communication of their impact.

The interactive session brought together community development professionals from across the western United States to explore strategies for defining meaningful outcomes, selecting actionable measures, engaging stakeholders, interpreting data, and using evidence to continuously improve programs and initiatives. Participants worked through the Community Impact Blueprint workbook and discussed how the framework can be adapted to a wide range of community challenges.

The workshop reflects Boise State’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship by translating research and evaluation methods into practical tools that help organizations make informed decisions and increase their impact. It also advances the Idaho Policy Institute’s mission of partnering with communities to use data and evidence to solve complex public challenges.

Boise State Team Awarded Grant to Advance Human-Centered AI for Building Permit Review

Vanessa Fry

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry, associate research professor in the School of Public Service and cofounder of the Idaho Policy Institute, is part of an interdisciplinary Boise State team that has been awarded a Boise State TRANSFORM Track 2 seed grant to develop MAPS (Municipal AI for Permit Systems), an innovative project that applies artificial intelligence to improve the building permit review process.

Led by Computer Science assistant professor Xinyi Working, supported by School of Computing Director Ira Burton, and in partnership with the City of Meridian, the project will develop and evaluate a human-centered AI system that helps applicants submit more complete permit applications while supporting reviewers with consistent, transparent, and locally informed guidance. Rather than replacing human expertise, MAPS is designed to capture institutional knowledge, reduce repetitive review tasks, and improve the overall permitting experience for both applicants and local governments.

Fry leads the project’s community-engaged research and evaluation efforts, ensuring the technology is developed in close collaboration with municipal staff and assessed for usability, transparency, and real-world impact. The project brings together expertise from public administration, artificial intelligence, and local government to create a model that can be adapted by communities across Idaho and beyond.

The award reflects Boise State’s commitment to developing practical, community-driven innovations that translate research into solutions for public-sector challenges.