The ARPA Commission needs to make housing an integral part of Montana’s post-pandemic recovery plan

Jul 20, 2021

By Heather O'Loughlin

Montana communities across the state are facing significant housing shortages, particularly for households living on lower and moderate incomes. The pandemic brought more attention to this ever-worsening crisis, as families struggle to find a safe, stable, and affordable place to live, employers struggle to hire and keep workers, and communities grapple with growing issues of homelessness. On Wednesday, July 21, the ARPA Economic Transformation and Stabilization and Workforce Development Advisory Commission will meet to discuss upcoming recommendations by the state administration on the use of flexible state COVID relief funds. The Montana Budget & Policy Center, together with 40 organizations, housing providers, and developers as part of the statewide Montana Housing Coalition, submitted a letter urging the state to invest a minimum of $40 million of flexible state fiscal relief funds into the construction and preservation of affordable housing.

Of this $40 million, we urge the Department of Commerce to dedicate at least $30 million in grants for direct financial assistance to fill funding gaps and reduce total development costs for housing projects. These grants will be similar to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Housing Development Partnerships Program (HOME) administered by the Montana Housing Division. The Department can prioritize grants used to:

• Purchase existing housing to convert to affordable housing; provide preconstruction technical assistance for affordable housing projects; and comprehensive rehabilitation and preservation of existing affordable housing;
• Match federal, local, and other funding sources; and
• Provide equity to housing projects that have applied for federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits but not awarded due to lack of funds and located in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to dedicate at least $10 million in grants to nonprofit housing partners and service organizations for housing and facilities necessary to provide safe shelters and supportive housing. The Department can prioritize grants used to:

• Rent, acquire, and renovate existing facilities and convert underused hotels, motels, and other properties to shelters and supportive housing; and
• Provide families at risk of or experiencing homelessness and for survivors of domestic violence.

Check out the full letter here. Montana’s State Fiscal Recovery Funds gives the Department of Commerce an unprecedented opportunity to tackle our state’s acute shortage of available and affordable housing and, by doing so, build stronger, resilient communities. We hope Montanans will make their voices heard and urge the ARPA Commission to make housing production an integral part of Montana’s post-pandemic recovery plan.