Junegrass Place Brings Low-income Housing to Kalispell
The 138-unit development utilizes federal housing tax credits through the Montana Board of Housing to offer affordable apartments on North Meridian Road
By Maggie Dresser
Nearly four years after the Kalispell City Council approved its conditional use permit, Junegrass Place is now home to 138 low-income residences on North Meridian Road.
The Montana Board of Housing in 2021 awarded $4.78 million in federal housing tax credits for affordable housing to Junegrass Place, which was one of four projects that was awarded funding statewide. The tax credits allocated by the board and investor partner WNC offer stability for residents.
Kalispell in recent years has approved thousands of housing units, which include single-family homes, townhomes and multifamily units, but Junegrass Place is one of a few projects to utilize tax credits dedicated toward affordable housing.
“There are a lot of people out there struggling who need this kind of housing,” Junegrass Place resident Susan Hale said. “And the need is not going away.”
Homeword, a Missoula-based organization that promotes affordable housing launched the project after the Kalispell City Council approved a conditional use permit in 2021. Construction was completed in 2024 when its first residents began moving into the one- two- and three-bedroom units at 1079 N. Meridian Road in Kalispell.
“Junegrass Place illustrates our commitment to ensuring that all Montanans have access to safe, stable and affordable housing,” Homeword Executive Director Karissa Trujillo said. “This development project demonstrates what we can achieve when local leaders, nonprofit and for-profit partners and residents come together with a shared vision to make our communities stronger.”
The development also utilized tax-exempt bonds from funding partners. Glacier Bank served as the lender while Rotherham Construction Inc. and Real Estate Management Services were also partners in the project.
According to a recent Northwest Montana Association of Realtors report, nearly half of renters are paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs. As of Oct. 5, Kalispell’s median home price was $558,250.
While northwest Montana’s housing inventory has expanded in recent years following the pandemic-induced market boom, high interest rates and economic uncertainty have resulted in decreased building activity.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, overall nationwide housing starts decreased 8.5% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million units. Due to declines in multifamily construction starts, the number of apartments under construction has fallen by 20% nationwide.
Homeword and GMD Development are hosting a celebration at 1081 North Meridian Road, Building C, in Kalispell at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 with property tours and refreshments.