Gov. Gianforte, Commerce Announce $7 Million Grant To Expedite Construction of Affordable, Attainable Housing
Photo Information
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the Montana Department of Commerce secured a $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to speed up the construction of affordable, attainable housing in Montana.
“With more people moving to Montana and with not enough homes being built, the price of housing has skyrocketed, putting a key element of the American dream out of reach for many,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Working with the legislature, we enacted key pro-housing reforms in 2023, and Montana is now a national leader on increasing housing supply. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to come alongside Montana communities to increase the supply of affordable, attainable housing.”
The $7 million grant, secured by the Montana Department of Commerce, comes from The Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program. PRO Housing helps communities continue to address restrictive land use or regulatory policies, improve and implement housing strategies, invest in local neighborhoods, and increase community resilience.
“The Montana Department of Commerce continues to look for innovative ways to improve the supply of affordable, attainable housing in our state,” Montana Department of Commerce Director Paul Green said. “The 11 communities receiving these funds will be models for when other communities in our state experiences growth and an increased demand for housing. The grant’s remaining funds will enable Commerce to provide support for communities statewide to increase housing supply and put this key piece of the American dream within greater reach for Montanans.”
Commerce will use $5 million in PRO Housing funds to partner with the Montana League of Cities and Towns and 11 cities, including Billings, Belgrade, Belgrade, Columbia Falls, Great Falls, Helena, Laurel, Lewistown, Missoula, and Kalispell. Commerce will use the remaining $2 million to establish a Housing Technical Assistance Program (HTAP) to help communities across Montana further incentivize and implement affordable housing development. View the list of PRO Housing grants awarded by city here.
HTAP will include incentives for housing developers, such as providing lower interest rate loans for new construction or preservation of affordable housing, or innovative home construction. Additionally, it will offer incentives to support low- and middle-income households, prioritization for projects that maximize density, and more.
“This PRO Housing grant represents a transformative opportunity for Montana municipalities,” said Mayor Russ Nelson of Belgrade and Montana League of Cities and Towns Board President. “Belgrade is excited to utilize this funding for our Master Planning effort, aligning with legislative changes to create a framework that addresses both current and future housing needs. We are grateful for this opportunity to work alongside the State and other communities to shape a stronger, more sustainable housing landscape in Montana and thank the Commerce Department and the League for securing these funds.”
In addition, Commerce will provide statewide services through the development of a toolkit and training opportunities to support all Montana communities in their efforts toward comprehensive community planning with a focus on housing.
Spearheading state efforts to resolve the housing supply shortage, Gov. Gianforte launched a diverse, bipartisan Housing Task Force in July 2022. The Task Force produced three reports that identified problems at the root of the state’s housing shortage and provided solutions that could be implemented administratively or through changes to law.
More information about Gov. Gianforte’s Housing Task Force is available here.
For more information about the Department of Commerce’s housing programs, visit commerce.mt.gov.
“With more people moving to Montana and with not enough homes being built, the price of housing has skyrocketed, putting a key element of the American dream out of reach for many,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Working with the legislature, we enacted key pro-housing reforms in 2023, and Montana is now a national leader on increasing housing supply. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to come alongside Montana communities to increase the supply of affordable, attainable housing.”
The $7 million grant, secured by the Montana Department of Commerce, comes from The Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program. PRO Housing helps communities continue to address restrictive land use or regulatory policies, improve and implement housing strategies, invest in local neighborhoods, and increase community resilience.
“The Montana Department of Commerce continues to look for innovative ways to improve the supply of affordable, attainable housing in our state,” Montana Department of Commerce Director Paul Green said. “The 11 communities receiving these funds will be models for when other communities in our state experiences growth and an increased demand for housing. The grant’s remaining funds will enable Commerce to provide support for communities statewide to increase housing supply and put this key piece of the American dream within greater reach for Montanans.”
Commerce will use $5 million in PRO Housing funds to partner with the Montana League of Cities and Towns and 11 cities, including Billings, Belgrade, Belgrade, Columbia Falls, Great Falls, Helena, Laurel, Lewistown, Missoula, and Kalispell. Commerce will use the remaining $2 million to establish a Housing Technical Assistance Program (HTAP) to help communities across Montana further incentivize and implement affordable housing development. View the list of PRO Housing grants awarded by city here.
HTAP will include incentives for housing developers, such as providing lower interest rate loans for new construction or preservation of affordable housing, or innovative home construction. Additionally, it will offer incentives to support low- and middle-income households, prioritization for projects that maximize density, and more.
“This PRO Housing grant represents a transformative opportunity for Montana municipalities,” said Mayor Russ Nelson of Belgrade and Montana League of Cities and Towns Board President. “Belgrade is excited to utilize this funding for our Master Planning effort, aligning with legislative changes to create a framework that addresses both current and future housing needs. We are grateful for this opportunity to work alongside the State and other communities to shape a stronger, more sustainable housing landscape in Montana and thank the Commerce Department and the League for securing these funds.”
In addition, Commerce will provide statewide services through the development of a toolkit and training opportunities to support all Montana communities in their efforts toward comprehensive community planning with a focus on housing.
Spearheading state efforts to resolve the housing supply shortage, Gov. Gianforte launched a diverse, bipartisan Housing Task Force in July 2022. The Task Force produced three reports that identified problems at the root of the state’s housing shortage and provided solutions that could be implemented administratively or through changes to law.
More information about Gov. Gianforte’s Housing Task Force is available here.
For more information about the Department of Commerce’s housing programs, visit commerce.mt.gov.
Tags: Montana Housing and Press Release
