In the past 5 years, Montana's average home price has gone up 71%, while the average income has only increased 25%. The lack of housing, and that which is attainable for working class residents, is creating a crisis for residents, employers, local economies, public health, community well-being...everything. In this episode, we hear from seven people all working in different areas of this topic around Montana, and we aim to provide information and perspectives that encourage us to have more nuanced and proactive outlooks and responses to this...
In the past 5 years, Montana's average home price has gone up 71%, while the average income has only increased 25%. The lack of housing, and that which is attainable for working class residents, is creating a crisis for residents, employers, local economies, public health, community well-being...everything. In this episode, we hear from seven people all working in different areas of this topic around Montana, and we aim to provide information and perspectives that encourage us to have more nuanced and proactive outlooks and responses to this topic. We also shine a light on creative actions taking place around the state, and share resources for folks feeling the pressures directly.
Of course the pressures of increased housing costs is something being felt around the country, and around the globe...so no matter where you call home, there is a wealth of information shared in this episode that can be applied to other regions. This episode is longer than most of ours, so of course feel free to listen in segments as you wish.
This episode was generously supported by Headwaters Foundation, working side-by-side with Western Montanans to improve the health of our communities. They say, "We believe that housing is part of the foundation for a healthier, more equitable future." Learn more at www.headwatersmt.org.
Thank you to Shauni Seccombe for research and editing support on this episode.
LINKS:
Shelter WF
Governor's Housing Task Force
Trust Montana
Stories for Action podcast featuring Trust Montana
North Missoula Community Development Corporation
HomeFront Billings
Bespoke of Montana
Habitat for Humanity chapters serving Montana
Beyond Building - regenerative design & education in Montana
Engage Whitefish
Montana Association of Counties, about growth policies
State Grants for communities to adopt/update a Growth Policy
Montana Growth Policy Resource Book
NeighborWorks Montana
NeighborWorks Great Falls
Native Homeownership Coalition
Montana Native Growth Fund - financing
Great Northern Development Corporation
Action for Eastern Montana
MEIC - Montana Environmental Information Center
HRDC - Human Resource Development Center
Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program
Montana Emergency Rental Assistance (MERA) Program
The Housing Choice Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs - rental assistance for low-income earners
MT Department of Commerce Housing Program
Resources for rental assistance & homeowner assistance from State
USDA Montana Board of Housing Loans
USDA Rural Development Report: Programs for Housing
Available Housing in Montana - Database for rental & homeownership
Strong Towns
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer & related books
The Affordable City - book by Shane Phillips
Life in the Land - films & podcasts from Stories for Action, sharing stories from rural regions of Montana
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to spark positive action for people and place. StoriesforAction.org Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#housing #Montana #housingcrisis #affordablehousing #406 #sustainability #homeless #unhoused #economy #mortgage #housingpressures #rental #housingcrunch #community
