Park County Housing Coalition outlines home repair loans, coordinated entry upgrades and local housing fund options

Catherine Daly, program manager for the Park County Housing Coalition at HRDC, presented the coalition’s work to the Livingston Consolidated Land Use Board on Oct. 8, saying the group’s mission is “to increase opportunities for Park County residents to access housing where we can afford to live and thrive.”

Daly told the board the coalition has secured financial backing — including continued support from the City of Livingston — that fully funds her position through 2026 and allows staff to focus on implementation rather than fundraising (presentation, Q&A). She summarized three immediate priorities: expanding accessory dwelling unit (ADU) outreach and financing, building employer-assisted housing partnerships and pursuing targeted preservation through rehabilitation loans and grants.

The coalition has won a roughly $600,000 award from the state’s Community Development Block Grant Housing Stabilization Program to seed the Park County Home Repair Program. Daly said those funds must be delivered as 0% interest, forgivable loans tied to deed restrictions; eligible households must own and occupy single-family detached homes and have incomes at or below 80% of area median income (example cited: $64,400 for a two-person household). Daly estimated more than 1,600 Park County homeowners would qualify on income and housing-stock criteria.

Daly highlighted the program’s intended uses — roof repair, mold remediation, damaged windows, ADA accessibility work and weatherization — and said the objective is to preserve owner-occupied homes that are at risk because much of the county’s housing stock is old and in need of repair.

On the development side, Daly said Sheep Mountain Residences — a proposed low-income housing tax credit project that would provide about 48 below-market rental units — remains under review by the Montana Board of Housing, which is expected to decide whether to award tax credits in the coming weeks. “That project would be a real game-changer,” Daly said during the presentation.

Daly also described efforts to strengthen Park County’s Coordinated Entry system for people experiencing homelessness, noting local partners include HRDC case managers, Livingston Healthcare, Aspen and the Park County Drop-In Center. She reported the county’s 2025 point-in-time count identified 21 people experiencing homelessness, up from 11 in 2022, and said work is ongoing to identify students who qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.

Looking beyond grants and developer-driven projects, Daly said the coalition has evaluated six revenue models and is focusing on three possibilities for a community housing fund: philanthropic gifts and grants, an impact-investing co‑op for local investors, and an opt-in voluntary fee program for businesses and visitors similar to models used in Whitefish and by Yellowstone National Park Lodges. Daly said initial outreach to local businesses on a voluntary fee has been positive.

Board members asked for follow-up data on housing-unit targets and infrastructure constraints; residents raised concerns about rising homeowners insurance costs and cost pressures on long-time owners. Daly offered to provide supporting slides and sources; staff noted the full slide deck and data are in the meeting packet on the city website.

Next steps: Daly said the coalition will continue outreach and implementation, including working with the city and county on eligibility details for the Home Repair Program, further coordination with Livingston Healthcare on coordinated-entry participation, and additional community input on a housing fund and voluntary fee model.