A long-awaited affordable housing project in Billings is one step closer to becoming reality — the LB Lofts, a 102-unit development on Sioux Lane in the Billings Heights, has secured its full funding package from 11 different sources after three years in development. With nearly 6,000 people on the affordable housing waitlist in Billings alone, the project aims to serve working residents whose rent costs are outpacing their wages. Construction could begin as early as this September, pending Billings City Council approval of a general contractor request for proposal.

Land in the the Billings Heights, which recently held pods from the Bakken oil fields, has been temporarily moved to a storage facility in preparation for construction on the LB Lofts expected to start this summer.

For Evelyn Foursouls, moving into the Baatz Block Apartments was more than finding a place to live. It was a turning point.

"I was sleeping on the sidewalk, actually. And so, when I finally got it, I was very blessed and — dream come true, I guess," Foursouls said.

In the heart of downtown Great Falls, the historic Baatz Building is nearing the finish line on a major transformation—one that not only preserves more than a century of local history but also provides much-needed housing for some of the community's most vulnerable residents.

Homeword and NeighborWorks Great Falls recently received approval of the Historic Preservation Certification for the Baatz Block Apartments, a milestone that confirms the project qualified for federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

If you live in Missoula, you have likely driven down Reserve Street—or perhaps walked or biked along the River Trail—past Orchard Gardens. With solar panels on the roofs of multi-family rental homes and farms and gardens woven throughout the property, this community shows what is possible when affordable housing, climate solutions and local agriculture combine to create a healthier, more vibrant community.

Several local projects related to housing affordability and homelessness prevention will soon secure a portion of federal and local funds worth $1.5 million, city officials shared Wednesday morning. 

The money largely comes from annual federal grants awarded to the city, including Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnership Program and a separate HOME grant through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Stockman Bank, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines), is pleased to announce that 11 Montana organizations were chosen to receive affordable housing and community development grants to help Montana families find a safe and affordable place to call home. 

Residents in northwest Montana will have new opportunities this spring to get face-to-face help navigating the homebuying process and building financial skills.

At Homeword, our commitment to sustainability includes actively supporting and encouraging sustainable commuting for all employees. Team members regularly carpool, walk, bike, and sometimes ride the bus to work, and we provide covered bike parking to make active transportation easier.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.