Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 6.1.16

NEWS
A ordable Housing Leaders ‘Fired Up’ Over Economic Crisis Gov. Bullock, local and regional experts encouraged by momentum on statewide housing issue
BY TRISTAN SCOTT OF THE BEACON
Sheila Rice is “ red up” about the a ordable housing crisis in Montana.
Rice, who serves on the Montana Board of Housing, addressed attend- ees May 25 at the 2016 Annual Montana Housing Partnership Conference in downtown Kalispell, saying the looming crisis has her “ red up,” but so does the momentum building toward tackling the issue.
The pressing need to solve the a ord- able housing shortage has reached a high point, she said, but bright spots on the horizon indicate a willingness by state government o cials to increase spend- ing on housing. Meanwhile, local com- munities are banding together to seek a resolution and a proposal in Congress to increase the appropriation for housing tax credits by 50 percent is a promising step forward.
Still, even though everyone agrees that more a ordable housing is a critical need, Rice urged state, federal and local
government leaders to do more – to get “ red up” – in order to meet Montana’s housing needs.
“I am red up because Montana lacks 18,000 apartments and homes that are a ordable to extremely low-income fam- ilies. I am red up because the homeown- ership rate in Montana has dropped from 70 percent to 66 percent and the Native American homeownership is less than 50 percent. I am red up because rents have increased in Montana by more than 5 percent per year for the last three years and 72 percent of very low-income fam- ilies pay more than 50 percent of their monthly income for housing,” she said.
The conference drew national, regional and local experts to address a range of a ordable housing issues, including linkages between infrastruc- ture and workforce development, pub- lic housing, housing choice vouchers, the nexus between health and hous- ing, and community revitalization and development.
Gov. Steve Bullock made an
appearance at the conference for the third year in a row, telling attendees that solving the a ordability problem will “build a platform from which dreams can be launched and realized.”
Rice said Montana businesses are unable to grow because there are no homes for new employees, a problem that has been especially prominent in Flat- head County, and White sh in particular.
Housing costs in White sh are out- pacing Flathead County and the state, displacing critical workers who ll the jobs driving the tourist-based economy.
Statewide, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $724, but the rent that a low-income person can pay is only $468, Rice said.
According to U.S. Census data, the average renter pays $812 a month in White sh, whereas the average renter in Kalispell pays $731.
Earlier this year, the White sh Hous- ing Authority was among those who nar- rowly missed out on the tax credits for a ordable housing projects – speci cally,
$6.7 million to build a 36-unit a ordable housing complex on U.S. Highway 93 South.
Bruce Brensdal, executive director of the Montana Board of Housing, said the demand for tax credits far outweighs the resources available, and even the poten- tial for an increase of available tax credits by 50 percent would fall short of closing the gap.
In January, the Board heard requests for federal tax credits for 19 a ordable housing projects across the state, total- ing $87.8 million, but only had $26.9 mil- lion in federal tax credits available.
But Montana also leaves federal fund- ing on the table because the state lacks a source of nancing for Non-Competitive (4 percent) Housing Tax Credit projects.
“We can do better on collaborating with developers to take advantage of those 4 percent tax credits,” he said. “As we come together and share ideas, like we’re doing here, we are de nitely gain- ing ground.”
tscott@ atheadbeacon.com
Students Excluded from Graduation Ceremony Following Vandalism School board voted to uphold administrators’ recommendation
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
A group of seniors who were involved in a vandalism incident at Flathead High School is prevented from attending thisweek’s graduation ceremony.
The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees on May 24 upheld the recom- mendation of high school administrators and barred 20 students from attending the June 3 graduation. The students will still receive graduation certi cates and credits earned for the semester.
The school board held a closed ses- sion reviewing the matter, including pleas from students and parents, before making its decision. Flathead adminis- trators recommended the board rescind the students’ “honor of participating” in the graduation ceremony, as the school statute describes it.
A total of 21 students were caught on surveillance cameras in Flathead High School during an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of May 10. According to a police investigation, the
students intended to conduct a senior prank, which the school district has explicitly warned against in recent weeks.
Police say the group tried to push open a window at the school before it broke, allowing entry. Initially, the inci- dent involved students lling cups with water and throwing sawdust, toilet paper, silly string and cellophane throughout the halls, according to police. The situa- tion escalated after a few students began damaging the school, ripping water
fountains from the walls, breaking vend- ing machines and two windows. A statue on loan to the school was also broken.
The extent of the damage is still being assessed but it is estimated to be “in the thousands” of dollars, according to school o cials.
Outside of the school district, the stu- dents still face potential charges of tres- passing and criminal mischief.
One of the 21 students was not a senior at Flathead.
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
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JUNE 1, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM