Missoula Community Connection

Grants graphic with houses, sun, and clouds in the sky

Community Planning, Development, & Innovation grant programs fund a variety of projects that provide many community benefits. Read on about this year's projects!

Affordable Housing Trust Fund Projects

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund leverages resources, reduces barriers, and develops partnerships to create, preserve, and support access to affordable housing in Missoula. In May, City Council approved $738,427 of Affordable Housing Trust Fund grants to help move the needle on affordable housing for our community in the coming year.

Homeword will receive funding for two of their critical projects, including $348,427 for rehabilitation of the Creekside Apartment Building and $20,000 to support Get Ready for Homeownership and Financial Skill-building classes. These projects will maintain the livability and affordability of Creekside’s 161 apartments in addition to supporting over 1,000 individuals as they develop their financial skills and prepare for homeownership.
North Missoula Community Development Corporation (NMCDC) will receive $330,000 in funding for the purchase of land under 14 homes in the River Road neighborhood, which will be converted into a cooperative community land trust. NMCDC will also receive $40,000 in capacity building support to continue growing their Community Land Trust program.

Recent successes of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund include partnering with NeighborWorks Montana to purchase Bonnie’s Place and create a land ownership cooperative for mobile homeowners, protecting housing for 28 households! This transaction was finalized in April. Another milestone includes partnering with the North Missoula Community Development Corporation to purchase property on Wolf Avenue that will create the very first cooperative/Community Land Trust hybrid project in the state of Montana. Through this project, eight households will establish homeownership and the model will serve as an example for future housing projects.

On Wednesday, June 14 staff and community partners will share an update with City Council at the Housing, Redevelopment and Community Programs committee. Join us in person or virtually to learn more about the impact the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is making in the community! Meeting times are set the Friday before the committee meeting. Check the calendar here after June 9 for the meeting time, agenda and location details.

HUD Projects

Each year, the City’s grants team welcomes organizations to apply for HUD funding as well as the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund to assist households with low- and moderate-incomes. Eight projects were recently approved for funding through the Unified Application process for program year 2023. Six of the projects will be funded with federal dollars through the CDBG and HOME programs*.

The HOME and CDBG awards are currently pending final approval from HUD, but anticipated results of this year’s funding include:

161 households will benefit from the rehabilitation of rental units to improve living conditions, comfort, energy efficiency and ongoing affordability
3 affordable rental properties will receive exterior rehabilitation improvements, to benefit 67 Missoulians, including 7 children, 16 seniors and 17 people living with a disability
14 existing units will be converted to a hybrid cooperative community land trust with the purchase of land, and those homes will remain permanently affordable
5 homeowners with low- and moderate-incomes will receive needed repairs to their homes
10 wheelchair ramps will be installed for low and moderate-income households
215 individuals at risk of houselessness will benefit from assistance to help them find or remain in housing
1,020 individuals will benefit from public services focused on financial and renter education/counseling

Program Years run July 1 through June 30, with the application round for the 2024 Program Year cycle to begin in January. Learn more on the City grants and funding page.

*HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

Missoula Neighborhoods Grant Projects

The Missoula Neighborhoods Energize Your Neighborhood Grant Program funded 5 new projects to improve neighborhoods that will begin installation this summer! The Energize Your Neighborhood grant program was created to strengthen neighborhood participation and to help build opportunities for neighborhood communication, neighborhood-initiated projects, and problem solving. Each year, the City Council allocates $20,000 for Neighborhood Projects and we can award grant applicants up to $6,000. Projects must be within city limits and have a lasting impact. This year, there were 8 grant applications and 5 of those applications were funded. Here are the exciting projects that you will see this summer!

2023 MSO Beach Expansion (Lewis & Clark): This project is to do a simple layout modification to transform MSO Beach at Playfair Park from four volleyball courts to a six-court facility!
Northside Street Mural (Northside): This grant will help fund three street-surface murals in the Northside. These murals will allow for continued collaboration with local indigenous artists, practice placemaking to strengthen community connections, and beautify our community with public art.
Bike Racks at Bonner Park (University District): This project will provide Bonner Park patrons with a prominent location to park and lock their bikes while enjoying a wide variety of activities. This would also allow for installation of an air pump adjacent to the bike racks.
Learning Space at Meadow Hill School (South 39th): This project will help to improve the gathering space through adding plants, helping ADA accessibility, seating options, etc.
Gateway to the Rattlesnake Sign (Lower Rattlesnake): This last project will replace a sign that was in Sergeant Don Gregory Park to welcome neighbors into the neighborhood.

We are excited to see these awesome community projects come to fruition. The Energize Your Neighborhood grant cycle will open again in September. If you have any ideas or questions, please email to Kalina Pritchard, Neighborhoods Specialist, at (PritchardK@ci.missoula.mt.us).

City Chats in the Park graphic with people biking, walking, and sitting in a park

Follow City of Missoula Community Planning, Development, & Innovation on Facebook to stay up to date on Our Missoula: Growth Policy Update and Code Reform, community engagement events and ways to get involved, and other City news!