stories and information
Helena Habitat blog
strength. stability. self-reliance.
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Improved Health and Nutrition: A Hidden Benefit of Homeownership
“The greatest wealth is health,” so goes the popular saying by the poet Virgil. So, while last month we talked about homeownership as a vehicle for wealth-building, in this post we’ll discuss the invaluable positive impact that stable, quality housing has on the mental and physical health of people of all ages. In fact, the…
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Building Wealth through Homeownership
Overall stability, better health, improved educational performance, the freedom to have pets and make improvements… all of these are reasons why many people can benefit from affordable homeownership. At the root of many of these positive outcomes is the transformative power that owning a home can have on a household’s finances. This impact is often…
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Winter 2025 Newsletter
Habichat: Building homes, communities and hope Winter 2025
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Fall 2025 Newsletter
Habichat: Building homes, communities and hope Fall 2025
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Award given for East Helena smelter site redevelopment
EAST HELENA — Those who have been working on the former East Helena ASARCO smelter site are now the recipients of a prestigious nationwide award. The Phoenix Award is for excellence in brownfield redevelopment. “This community has had to come to grips with their identity,” said Cindy Brooks, the managing principal for the Montana Environmental…
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Foundations for families’: Habitat for Humanity opens 6 new East Helena homes
Helena Area Habitat for Humanity celebrated the official completion of six new homes Tuesday in an East Helena neighborhood. “In a time when 80% of Montanans can’t afford a home in their own state, we are eager to build more, to do more, and to create more opportunities,” Executive Director Jacob Kuntz said to about 75…
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Habitat for Humanity dedicates homes to six families in East Helena
EAST HELENA — Becoming a homeowner is a part of the American dream, and now that is a reality for six Helena area families, all thanks to hard work and determination. For Sadie Hensler and her four daughters, Tuesday was an exciting day. “It actually means the world to me,” said Hensler. The family is…
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Spring 2025 Newsletter
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Helena Area Habitat for Humanity Restore is expanding
HELENA — The Helena Area Habitat for Humanity Restore is expanding and will be celebrating the new addition of its barn on Saturday. The Restore facility is filled with recycled and reclaimed home décor and building items donated by community members and businesses. Restore is actually one of the largest recycling facilities in Helena. All…
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Habitat for Humanity holding community information sessions on planned East Helena neighborhood
HELENA — Habitat For Humanity of the Helena Area plans to build its new 1,500-home Rose Hill neighborhood on 250 acres south of State Highway 282 in East Helena. The organization encourages the community to bring their questions to a series of upcoming meetings. “I don’t want the city to feel like they’re in the…
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Fall Newsletter 2024
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The Cruel Game
Imagine our community’s housing challenges as a cruel game of musical chairs. As housing becomes more expensive, the most vulnerable are the first to lose their seat. In 2019 the average sales price of a home in the Helena area was $280,000. Today that number is over $470,000. That is a 68% increase in four…
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Fall Newsletter 2023
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Spring Newsletter 2023
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News and Media: Montana housing conference focuses on future following legislative session
HELENA – The need for affordable housing in Montana is taking center stage this week at a conference in Helena. About 270 people are registered to take part in the annual Montana Housing Partnership Conference. This is the first time since 2019 that the event is being held in person. Those attending the conference say…
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News and Media: Helena Area Habitat for Humanity helps welcome four new homeowners
EAST HELENA — Owning a home is the dream of many Americans, but the Montana housing market can price many out of that dream. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity four families are able to finally call a place “their home”. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that partners with families and volunteers to build…
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News and Media: ‘It will always be ours’: Habitat for Humanity dedicates 4 new homes in East Helena
Helena native Samantha Laible grew up in the north valley, and the Capital High School graduate said rising housing costs have forced her and her 16-year-old daughter to move around four times recently. “We’ve lived a little bit of everywhere, mostly apartments. But for my daughter, I’ve wanted her to have an actual home,” said…
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News and Media: ‘Pro-growth’ East Helena stands to quadruple housing stock in coming decade
East Helena officials’ pro-growth mentality over the past decade has laid the foundation for the town to more than quadruple its housing stock over the next decade. East Helena, which has a population of about 2,000, now has about 900 housing units. With major housing and commercial developments planned by Helena Area Habitat for Humanity…
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News and Media: Habitat for Humanity ReStore grand opening celebration is Saturday
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore will have a grand opening celebration Saturday at 1320 Market Ave., across from Lowe’s. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. There are plans for free hamburgers, hot dogs and cotton candy. There will also be sidewalk sales and raffle giveaways every hour, and if the weather cooperates there will be a…
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News and Media: Helena religious organizations charge into housing crisis fray
Despite an unprecedented recent influx of millions of dollars in federal aid, Helena and Lewis and Clark County governments have been unable to wrap its arms around the area’s housing crisis, and local religious organizations are stepping up to fill in the gaps. Low housing inventory and high demand have driven up Helena’s median home…
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Fall Newsletter 2022
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News and Media: Helena Habitat ReStore moving to new location
HELENA — The Helena Area Habitat for Humanity will relocate its ReStore to a new, 13,000-square-foot facility here on market avenue. The Helena Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a non-profit home improvement and furnishings store that serves to fund housing programs while keeping usable items out of the landfill. Read the entire article here