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Addressing the Housing Crisis
Gov. Gianforte has just announced the formation of a housing task force to address the current affordable housing crisis in Montana and selected Helena Area Habitat for Humanity as one of its members. I appreciate having a seat at the table to offer thoughtful, actionable solutions to create more homes in Montana.
We need to build more homes of all shapes and sizes; it’s as simple as that, and all solutions should be on the table. Here are some ideas Habitat for Humanity has proposed to solve the housing crisis in Montana:
• Financial investments at the local and state level to build more homes.
• Housing regulations which encourage density and growth in our urban growth boundaries.
• Investments in local and state infrastructure (sewer and water).
• Increased partnerships between the public and private sectors with the focus on building mixed-income communities.
• Expansion of Community Lands Trusts to make homes permanently affordable for generations of Montanans.
I look forward to working with members of the task force to not only address the affordable housing crisis, but its far-reaching consequences that touch on issues like job security and family stability.
Jacob Kuntz,
Helena