The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that six awardees will share over $8 million in funding from the HOME Program, the Housing Trust Fund and the Community Development Block Grant Program. These programs help awardees with projects that meet the housing needs of Montanans, while supporting the state’s economy with good-paying jobs.

The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that more than $39 million in federal housing tax credits has been allocated by the Montana Board of Housing to five developers to build new or rehabilitate 160 affordable homes in five Montana communities.

Affordable housing nonprofit Homeword received $7.5 million in federal housing tax credits to rehabilitate the 10-story Sage Tower and six-story Fraser Tower, the Montana Department of Commerce announced Wednesday.

Catch up on our 2024 State of the Organization presentation, where we shared updates on our statewide impact, introduced new staff and board members and highlighted a special partner dedicated to strengthening affordable housing in Montana. The recording also includes the latest news on property improvements, HomeOwnership Center programs and our continued work to build strong, resilient communities across the state.

Executive Director Karissa celebrates our 2025 Annual Report and the stories that define our impact across Montana and invites you to our upcoming State of the Organization virtual presentation on December 2.

Read our November newsletter now.

“Because of Junegrass, my family lives a more fulfilling life."

At the Junegrass Place Celebration in Kalispell, Nicole—single mom of three and proud resident at Junegrass Place—delivered a moving speech about how having a home she can afford has transformed her family’s life.

Her story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when communities come together to create homes that empower working families.

For a long time, Leah Zamesnik wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to put down roots.

“My dad was in the navy, so I grew up moving every two to three years,” said Leah. “I was living in Jackson, Wyoming, after college and got priced out.”

In 2020, Leah was working a professional job and two side jobs just to afford her rent there and decided she just couldn’t do it anymore. She and Hamish, her “ranch reject” who preferred being a family dog to herding livestock, moved to Missoula for a fresh start. The pieces seemed to fall into place, and she quickly felt at home.

The City Council approved $1.4 million on Monday for an affordable apartment complex project in the Billings Heights.

The complex will be built in a field on Sioux Lane using repurposed man camp trailer units from the Bakken oil boom in North Dakota.

Nearly four years after the Kalispell City Council approved its conditional use permit, Junegrass Place is now home to 138 low-income residences on North Meridian Road.

Homeword and GMD Development invite the community to celebrate Junegrass Place, a vibrant new rental community, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. The event will take place at 1081 North Meridian Road, Building C, in Kalispell and will feature a short program starting at 3:30 p.m., with the celebration including property tours and refreshments.

Opened this year, the Watershed Navigation Center aims to reduce homelessness and crime by connecting those in need to housing and other essential services.

A small pot of federal funding enabled the City of Missoula and its housing partners to preserve several units of affordable housing and rehabilitate a number of owner-occupied homes over the past year, according to a recent report.

A new supply of affordable housing has been created from a historic building in downtown Great Falls. Residents and civic leaders came together on Monday to commemorate the opening of Great Falls' first long-term supportive housing development, the Baatz Block Apartments.

The Baatz Block Apartments in Great Falls, once a crumbling structure, have been given a new lease on life. This historic building is now home to 25 permanent supportive housing units, a first for the city.

Executive Director Karissa shares some highlights from our busy summer, details about a few of our upcoming events and a sneak peek of our newest property, Cube @ 603 in Missoula.

The 15-year-old affordable housing units at Ouellette Place on the east side of town are in need of some major repair work. Homeword, the non-profit community housing development organization that runs Ouellette Place, has asked the City of Lewistown to support a large grant request to pay for the necessary work.

For the first time in her life, Amy Dockery has a credit score she’s proud of and savings accounts that give her peace of mind.

“I have a good credit score now,” said Amy. “I think it’s around 780 or 790. Paying off my debt when my mama passed away helped a lot—and being religious about not using my credit cards.”

Like many, Amy had a basic understanding of personal finance, but expanding that knowledge with solid budgeting skills and putting it into practice was a challenge.

My name is Keaton, and I’m a fundraising and communications intern at Homeword this summer. As a business marketing student at the University of Montana, with interests in entertainment management and digital design, I’ve learned how what I’m being taught in the classroom can be applied in a nonprofit setting at Homeword and contribute to their mission of creating safe, healthy homes and sustainable communities.

The National Housing Trust Fund: A Summary of 2020 State Projects report is an effort of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) to document the impact of the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF). The report summarizes how each state and the District of Columbia planned to use $323 million allocated in 2020 by the HTF. 

See page 35 to read about Homeword’s Hearthstone property.

Living independently for the first time can be challenging for many young adults, but those involved in the foster care or justice system are especially vulnerable to homelessness, according to a new report. 

Young adults aging out of foster care often have no credit or rental history and limited finances, like many 18-year-olds looking for their first apartment, said Andrea Graham, a transitional living services worker with Missoula nonprofit Youth Homes. But the youth Graham works with are sometimes dealing with past trauma and limited adult support as they look for a job and housing, she said.