Park County Housing Coalition outlines repair loans, coordinated entry and housing‑fund plans to address local affordability

Catherine Daly, program manager for the Park County Housing Coalition at HRDC, told the Livingston consolidated land use board on Oct. 8 that the coalition is focusing on programs to preserve homes, expand low‑cost rental supply and improve the county's homelessness response.

Daly said the coalition secured about $600,000 from Montana's Community Development Block Grant housing‑stabilization program to launch a Park County Home Repair program that will deliver 0% interest, fully forgivable loans for eligible owner‑occupied, single‑family homes. The funds can pay for health‑and‑safety repairs such as roof work, mold remediation, damaged windows, weatherization and accessibility improvements under deed‑restriction terms that keep the home affordable for the loan term, Daly said.

"This program is geared toward homes that are single family detached," Daly said, adding eligible households must occupy the home and earn at or below 80% of Park County area‑median income (the coalition's example: $64,400 for a two‑person household). Daly estimated more than 1,600 homeowners in Park County would qualify by income.

Daly also reviewed the coalition's work on accessory dwelling units, employer‑assisted housing partnerships and zoning reform, and said the group is emphasizing two additional tools this year: rehabilitation loans and grants and a strengthened coordinated entry system for people experiencing homelessness. She told the board the coalition is exploring participation by Livingston Healthcare in coordinated entry and is refining partners' roles in referrals and prioritization.

"We're exploring participation by Livingston Healthcare," Daly said. "That is part of their community health improvement plan as well."

The presentation included local housing market data the coalition is using to set priorities: Daly said roughly 30% of Park County households rent and 70% own, that median single‑family home prices in August were approximately $679,900 (a figure she said is about 74% higher than five years earlier), and that many households are cost burdened when housing consumes more than 30% of income.

Daly highlighted a potential new development, Sheep Mountain Residences, a low‑income housing tax credit project that would add 48 below‑market rentals and is pending a Montana Board of Housing tax‑credit allocation she said would be decided in roughly two weeks.

On long‑term funding, Daly said the coalition is evaluating three models for a community housing fund: philanthropic gifts and grants, local impact investing and an opt‑in voluntary fee program similar to other Montana communities' models. "The response to the voluntary fee concept from local businesses so far has been positive," she said.

Board members and the public asked clarifying questions about the coalition's data and about insurance and infrastructure pressures. Daly also provided resources and said the coalition's ADU materials and other tools are available at parkcountyhousing.com.

What happens next: Daly said the coalition is funded through 2026 for her position; the coalition will continue outreach as it pursues housing repairs, coordinated entry participation and a community housing fund. The Montana Board of Housing decision on the Sheep Mountain tax credits was near term and an important development to watch.