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Missoula council approves $1.1 million in housing and community grants
Summary
City council voted 11-0 to adopt the city—recommended allocation of local and federal housing and community development funds for fiscal year 2026, directing staff to negotiate contracts with grant recipients.
Missoula City Council on May 5 approved the city's funding recommendations for the United Application round covering fiscal year 2026, awarding a mix of local and federal grants for housing, homelessness prevention and after-school programs.
The unanimous 11-0 vote adopted a resolution directing staff to negotiate contracts and authorizing the mayor to sign agreements with award recipients, following a staff presentation and a brief public comment period.
The awards combined local Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) dollars and federal HUD funding streams, including CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), HOME (HOME Investment Partnerships) and HOME-ARP (HOME American Rescue Plan). Grants recommended in the action plan included:
- United Way of Missoula County: $118,605 from AHTF for the Housing Solutions Fund, described in the staff presentation as a flexible source of assistance to prevent homelessness and projected to benefit about 250 low-income people. - Human Resource Council: $100,000 in HOME-ARP for rent and deposit assistance plus $11,944 for operating and capacity building to stabilize at-risk households. - Partnership Health Center: $299,937 in HOME-ARP to provide direct treatment and services for people who are unhoused or at risk, plus $35,824 for operating and capacity building. - Homeward: $200,000 in HOME funds for rehabilitation of Lenox Flats, a 10-unit affordable housing project, plus $17,534 for operating assistance. - The Poverello Center: $247,520 in CDBG funds to construct a 20-unit transitional housing facility for veterans at the former Clark Fork Inn space on Broadway. - Parks and Recreation after-school childcare: $74,755 in CDBG to support afternoon childcare programs that complement the school district's Jumpstart initiative.
Tracy Pondorf, grants program manager in Community Planning, Development and Innovation, and Colleen Kane, grants administrator for the Community Development Division, presented the allocation process. Pondorf said the package covers the program year 07/01/2025 through 06/30/2026 and noted HUD has not yet set final allocations for CDBG and HOME; award amounts will be adjusted if needed when federal grant agreements arrive.
Colleen Kane summarized expected outcomes and matching funds, saying the nine awards total just over $1.1 million with roughly $877,000 in nonfederal leverage listed in the action plan.
United Way representative Eric Leggold spoke during public comment in support of the Housing Solutions Fund and described its recent activity: from Nov. 1, 2021 through Nov. 1, 2024, the program served about 715 households (roughly 2,000 people) and provided about $528,000 in assistance; from July 1 to Nov. 1, 2024, it served about 240 households (479 individuals) with about $236,451 in assistance.
The action plan and associated projects are posted for public comment through May 15 at engage missoula.com; staff said no federal contracts will be signed until HUD grant agreements are in hand.
Ending: The council vote approved the grants package and authorized negotiation and signature of contracts. Staff asked the public and stakeholders to review the CDBG and HOME annual action plan and submit comments through May 15.
