News

NeighborWorks Montana (NWMT) is looking for two new teams members to join our work family! Both positions require someone who is detail-oriented, has excellent customer service skills, and is motivated to help others. When you work for NWMT, you help change lives across our state!

Click here to check out both of these great opportunities! 

Administrative Assistant
This position is located in Great Falls.

Housing Network Assistant
This position is open, preferably in Missoula, but other Montana locations will be considered.

NeighborWorks Montana received this great story from Diane Pennell who works at our partner organization, Snowy Mountain Development Corporation in Lewistown. While Matt’s story is not our typical story of “I took the class and wanted to be a homeowner right away,” we felt it was important to share his story to show how quickly life can change. Having already taken the homebuyer education class, Matt was well-informed and prepared for his unexpected change of heart and is now very happy in his new home.

We offer Homebuyer Education to help you be a successful homeowner so you can enjoy your home and community for many years to come. The class includes information such as:

• Assessing your readiness to buy a home
• Budgeting and credit
• Financing a home
• Maintaining home finances
• Selecting a home
• How to maintain your home
• Financial tips and resources

If you have been thinking about purchasing a home, be sure to visit https://www.nwmt.org/homeownership/ or call us at 406-604-4540 to learn more and to find a provider in your area.

After taking the First Time Homebuyer Class, Matt felt more confident that he did NOT want to buy a home. “I was averse to complicating my life with the responsibilities of homeownership and I did not see paying rent as a waste of money, I saw it as paying a fair price for a simple and relaxed lifestyle,” stated Matt.  He also assumed that he would buy a run-down house that would need a lot of work and be no more comfortable than his doublewide rental house. “I saw that homes in my price range were selling overnight if they were any good, and it seemed absurd to make such a big decision so quickly, basically on impulse,” added Matt. Admittedly, Matt explains, “Emotion plays a major role in my decision making, but I try to mitigate that with plenty of analysis.”

But all that changed when he heard about a house for sale by owner; in this case, the seller was an acquaintance who offered an opportunity to preview the house before it was listed.  “I had more time to carefully consider the biggest purchase of my life,” explained Matt. And that time along with seeing the home convinced Matt to take the plunge. He purchased the house in June of this year and could not be happier. “My quality of life improved not only overnight, but continues to improve,” added Matt. The payment is hardly more than his rent, and Matt says, “This home is multiple times better than my rental situation thanks to house features including a dishwasher, basement, storage, porches, a big yard with shade trees for my dogs and a better neighborhood.”

“Take the opportunity to prioritize your values in light of what you can afford and give yourself time to find the right house for you,” Matt advises first-time homebuyers. In doing just that, Matt gained not only the physical and financial benefits of homeownership but says Matt, “I now appreciate the intangible benefits of feeling more invested in the community. At first, I didn’t want to give up the carefree feeling of renting, but once I purchased my home and moved in, a new feeling emerged – a feeling of being planted.”

Congratulations to Matt on finding his first home!

There are great two homes currently available for purchase in Billings. One is fully accessible and adaptable to the needs of someone with a disability.

Both homes include:

• 1,120 square feet
• Zero entry (no steps)
• Two bedrooms with walk-in master closet
• Two bathrooms
• Oversized single car garage
• Vaulted ceilings
• Patio with small backyard
• Many energy efficient and durable components

Take a virtual tour:

• 5336 – https://www.propertypanorama.com/instaview/bmt/291044
• 5338 – https://www.propertypanorama.com/instaview/bmt/291043

Come check these amazing towns homes out, and be sure to ask about available loan programs, as well how the sweat equity works!

Please Mary Lou Affleck with NeighborWorks Montana at 406-670-9100, or by email [email protected]. You can also contact our listing agent, Ryan Auer with Montana Real Estate Brokers, at 406-850-2011 or [email protected].

In the Missoula area? Mark your calendar for this two-part series of free meetings. Hosted by the League of Women Voters and co-sponsored by the Missoula Home Coalition, the meetings will take a deep dive into the question, “How do we finance housing to bring down the cost, and where do we put it?” The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

NeighborWorks Montana Assistant Director, Kaia Peterson, will be speaking at the Part One event on Wednesday, October 30. This first event will take place at the Missoula Public Library from 7-8 PM.

Part Two of the series will be held on Wednesday, November 6, also at the Missoula Public Library from 7-8:30 PM.

For more information, be sure to read https://missoula.com/events/in-my-backyard-equitable-homes-for-all-where-to-add/event_49393eea-e9e3-11e9-b2cf-f30b9a8e0de6.html?fbclid=IwAR3rBnmYmhK_GJALBcB3cR16EuMSZB3BvFSnOHV62xC_2J56Gqzq1c-LPHA

This annual summit is designed to be ongoing training for community leaders, as well as the opportunity to network together. Presentation topics included:

• Telling Your Story by NWMT staff member, Michelle Rogers
• Police Partnerships & Community Safety by Crime Prevention Officer, Ethan Smith, of the Missoula Police Department
• Governance Training by Ned Cooney

Our time together also included a tour of the local resident-owned communities, River Acres and Buena Vista. The two-day event is a great opportunity to hear and see what the communities have been up to and helps promote a sense of family with this statewide program.

We must also thank our amazing sponsors who helped make this event such a great experience!

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook.com/NeighborWorksMT to see all the great photos from the event.

NeighborWorks Montana staff participated in a national conversation last week in New Orleans called Connecting Health, Home, and Community. While many of us in the housing industry have long given thought to connections within our communities between housing and other issues, there is a growing movement toward understanding how where we live affects our overall health.

According to a recent report by NeighborWorks America and Enterprise Community Partners, 80% of an individuals’ health is determined by their behaviors and the social and environmental conditions in which they live, work and play. “It is telling that only 20% of our health is shaped by clinical care, while 50% is determined by social and economic factors and the physical environment, and 30% by our individual behaviors.” (https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/resources/on-the-path-to-health-equity)

“In Montana, 13% of households spend more than half of their income on housing costs.” (https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/reports/state-reports/2019-montana-report) Rising housing costs, rental or ownership, certainly don’t leave much room in our budgets for other items such as healthcare and quality food.

Giving thought to budgets and knowing that chronic illnesses are on the rise, how can we restructure our communities to lessen the effects of the stresses causing the chronic illnesses? How do we adjust our lens to the ‘we’ and realize that we all have an obligation to make life better?

It is becoming clear that organizations must collaborate to switch from serving in segments to serving communities as a whole. Offering education and leadership will be vital as we go forward with this movement. NeighborWorks Montana will be watching this closely and giving thought to it in terms of our connections across Montana, and the nation.

Read more:

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00676?fbclid=IwAR1LLrX000dQcvyMAcWvq0CLg2dyBE21UUVVLua6_rB38FW16wo2zuHwO4g&

https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/throughout-colorado-housing-is-a-health-issue/article_f62691e4-b017-11e9-8289-33103a3534f9.html?fbclid=IwAR1gu_HQHYS_zhC6XFFNxPeMKHqzXnjUHMGBW6Sqf2ch078oGuq9vTGV1Rs

https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/?fbclid=IwAR1KjA9LaWaMbreh6RBx9YIdfG6VPvh-xJe3Ea6KS_KJyig-pEzm4fWRNXE

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/09/15/first-look-residences-at-career-gateway-brings.html

The story of a trailer park closing to be redeveloped is not new.  What is new, is the current state of our housing market, and the challenges the residents being displaced are likely to face as they seek different housing.

As more and more are priced out of homes, the need to preserve homes that Montanans can afford is vital.

Through our resident-owned community (ROC) program at NeighborWorks Montana, we help residents purchase the land on which their homes sit, and that they have previously rented.  Many of these residents have lived in their homes in their communities for over 20 years.

More on this:

• Tax Records Show a Loss of Mobile Homes in Gallatin County – Bozeman Daily Chronicle: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/business/tax-records-show-a-loss-of-mobile-homes-in-gallatin/article_81c6a47f-630f-5680-8bcf-91d4eccb8cd6.html
• Affordable Housing Crisis: Nearly 300 Mobile Homes Lost in Missoula County Since 2011 – Missoulian: https://missoulian.com/news/local/affordable-housing-crisis-nearly-mobile-homes-lost-in-missoula-county/article_a93950eb-7d0f-5c0c-89ec-7046511b3930.html

The 2019 Montana Shares raffle is open, and you won’t want to miss the chance to win some of the great prizes. The raffle will be held on Friday, September 13 and you need not be present to win.

There are 39 awesome prizes, including nine prize packages! Click HERE to read more about each of the prizes and to print the raffle tickets. Please mail your check and the raffle tickets to:

Montana Shares
PO Box 883
Helena, MT 59624

NeighborWorks Montana is a participant with Montana Shares, a partnership of Montana-based nonprofit groups devoted to improving the quality of life in communities throughout Montana. To learn more about Montana Shares, visit montanashares.org, and connect with them on Facebook.