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Council OKs city application to sponsor CDBG grant for Alpenglow apartment repairs
Summary
The council agreed to let city staff apply for Montana CDBG funds on behalf of Homeward Inc. to rehabilitate systems at Alpenglow Apartments serving low‑income residents.
The Whitefish City Council unanimously authorized city staff Sept. 2 to prepare and submit a Montana Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application on behalf of Homeward Inc. for rehabilitation work at Alpenglow Apartments, a locally managed affordable housing complex.
Why it matters: Alpenglow houses households at or below 60% of area median income, including seniors and residents with disabilities. The applicant said some original heating and cooling equipment is failing in colder conditions and that replacements would improve reliability, reduce utility costs, and lower maintenance calls.
Erin Ojala, asset manager with Homeward, said Alpenglow houses 64 residents across 38 units and that the building’s original variable‑refrigerant heat pump systems have repeatedly malfunctioned in cold weather, sometimes leaving apartments without heat. Homeward told the council a long‑term, energy‑efficient replacement is the most cost‑effective solution. Ojala said Homeward would include an applicant match to improve competitiveness, even though a local match is not required for Montana CDBG.
City staff noted that tonight’s public hearing satisfied the CDBG requirement for an initial community‑needs hearing; a second hearing will be scheduled on the specific application and project costs if the council directs staff to proceed. Staff reported that the city’s anticipated workload would be limited to application preparation and standard grant management if an award is received, and that the likely award size would not trigger a single‑auditor threshold for additional federal audit requirements.
Homeward estimated a project cost during the meeting; the figure presented in the hearing transcript appears uncertain and will be confirmed in the formal application. Homeward said a typical CDBG‑timed project schedule would seek to start work within a year of award and complete construction within the program’s required timeframe.
What happens next: If the council’s authorization leads to a formal CDBG application, staff and Homeward will schedule the required second public hearing and submit the application by the program deadline. Award notification timing will determine the start date for any rehabilitation work.
