A broad vary of coverage adjustments are wanted to handle Montana’s reasonably priced housing disaster, based on a state job pressure convened by Gov. Greg Gianforte.
The Governor’s Housing Job Drive on Monday launched a preliminary draft of suggestions and techniques to extend the availability of reasonably priced, attainable workforce housing.
“Everybody on each side of the aisle would agree that the housing disaster is probably going the biggest concern of the subsequent session (of the state Legislature),” defined state lawmaker Ellie Boldman, a Democrat who represents Senate District 45 in Missoula and who’s a member of the duty pressure. “We’re clearly, as a state, going to must work collectively to unravel this drawback.”
The suggestions embody:
- Use state fiscal restoration funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to incentivize the event of rental housing by subsidizing partial or full waivers of planning, allowing and impression charges or water/sewer infrastructure prices for large-scale growth tasks which are constructing workforce housing items and for any giant rental housing developments
- Develop a Montana State Tax Credit score Program to additional incentivize the personal sector to construct numerous housing choices for communities
- Create property tax incentives to scale back the tax burden on properties that help a goal public coverage housing aim
- Create laws establishing standards by which sure eligible entities, akin to public universities, can promote sure parcels of land at below-market costs with a view to enhance the density of housing provide
- Create laws that will restrict native governments’ authority to require giant lot sizes for brand spanking new housing
- Add workers to the Montana Division of Environmental High quality to course of on-time, defensible allowing for subdivision and public water provide purposes
- Require localities to permit accent dwelling items on all single-family tons which are served by public sewer and water techniques
- Prohibit localities from enacting an owner-occupancy requirement for property house owners who want to hire out both their ADU or major dwelling
- Enact a state Reasonably priced Housing Tax Credit score tied to native zoning reform
- Amend state regulation to allow streamlined native adjudication of growth purposes, together with eradicating necessities for redundant public hearings
- Enable duplexes the place single-family residences are allowed in cities of not less than 5,000 residents
- Enable duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes the place single-family residences are allowed in cities of not less than 50,000 residents
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Lots of the suggestions within the report had been centered on decreasing laws that stop housing density.
“Over 70% of major residential areas in Montana’s most in-demand communities both outright prohibit or penalize reasonably priced multi-family housing growth,” the report states. “These strict native zoning laws exclude low and middle-income residents and worsen Montana’s housing scarcity. This pro-housing reform will give landowners the choice to create new dwelling items the place they’re wanted most at no extra value to taxpayers.”
In Missoula, greater than two houses are prohibited on 75% of major residential areas on account of single-family zoning and minimal lot measurement necessities, based on a Libertarian-aligned assume tank referred to as the Frontier Institute, which had a consultant on the duty pressure.
“Minimal lot measurement necessities mandate sprawling growth that forestalls walkability and make transit and bicycle infrastructure tough to supply,” the report continues. “Bigger tons require extra infrastructure for streets, sidewalks, lighting, sewer and water for every family, requiring extra native authorities spending and better taxes consequently.”
The report’s authors conclude that minimal lot measurement mandates that match lot sizes on the bottom stop neighborhoods and localities from accommodating extra households over time.
“As demand for housing will increase, new housing building eats up agricultural land or open house on the outskirts of cities and residents of latest housing must drive farther to achieve job facilities and each day requirements,” the report says.
There are dissenting choices on lots of the suggestions. For instance, the dissenting opinion on the advice to restrict the authority of native governments included a press release that some members of the duty pressure and members of the general public oppose state limitations on native authority to control land use.
Sean O’Callaghan, the chief planning officer for fast-growing Gallatin County, mentioned the report wants numerous work, in his opinion.
“Normally, there’s an implied bias for my part within the report that native governments and their growth laws are the first reason behind the housing scarcity,” he mentioned. “And there is a sturdy sentiment in there about preempting native governments’ land use laws. I might prefer to see much more information on that to defend it and I feel it is misplaced.”
He mentioned native governments definitely have a job to play in each creating and fixing the housing scarcity.
“However I do not know that we are the major driver,” he mentioned. “There’s quite a bit to undergo within the report, and numerous issues which may end in extra housing being constructed, however little or no to make sure that it’s attainable housing.”
For instance, he mentioned, there’s nothing within the report that ensures that incentives for constructing ADUs or relaxed necessities on them will guarantee they’re used for reasonably priced housing somewhat than being exploited for revenue in different methods.
O’Callaghan additionally mentioned that he does not consider any working towards planners had been on the committee or had been invited to speak at any of its conferences. He famous that a number of the suggestions would invite sprawl in rural areas, and that a number of the suggestions appeared to disregard the truth that many residential tons are in locations the place the prevailing pipes aren’t in ok form to help an enormous enhance in density.
Sen. Greg Hertz, a Republican state legislator from Polson, is a member of the duty pressure. He mentioned he hopes native governments will enact lots of the suggestions within the ultimate report earlier than the subsequent session of the Legislature, as a result of he does not assume state lawmakers ought to mandate what native governments can do. Nonetheless, he mentioned he’s open to any criticism of the report and can hearken to all public feedback.
“I stay up for taking enter,” he mentioned.
A spokesperson for Gov. Greg Gianforte despatched a press release on his behalf.
“Governor Gianforte is grateful to the members of the Governor’s Housing Job Drive and the devoted workers of the Montana Division of Environmental High quality who’ve poured their time and power into growing progressive concepts to make housing extra attainable for Montanans, and he appears to be like ahead to receiving their first of two ultimate studies by October 15,” the assertion learn.
The report famous that there are 137,320 renter households in Montana, which is 31% of all households. Of these, 41% are thought of very low-income and 24% are thought of extraordinarily low-income. An enormous chunk of renting households pay greater than a 3rd of their earnings to housing.
The committee is made up of state officers, elected officers of each events, enterprise executives, housing advocates, actual property affiliation representatives and nonprofit leaders. The group convened in July, met a number of occasions and took public enter.
“Pushed by a scarcity of housing provide, Montana faces a disaster that poses substantial challenges for hardworking Montanans searching for to stay, work and lift households in our state,” the report states.
Many elected officers in Montana of each political events, municipal planners in addition to housing-focused nonprofit leaders had been contacted for remark for this story however all both did not reply or mentioned they hadn’t had time to learn the report but.
State Sen. Mike Hopkins, a Republican from Missoula, mentioned housing is a statewide concern. He agrees with lots of the suggestions within the report, together with tax credit score proposals, options to streamline allowing and the thought to rent extra workers members on the DEQ. Nonetheless, he’s cautious of any proposal that will burden taxpayers. Hopkins shouldn’t be a member of the duty pressure however he believes they talked to numerous totally different stakeholders.
“The duty pressure, and the way in which it is put collectively, goes to be priceless,” he mentioned.
To view the complete draft preliminary report, go to on-line at bit.ly/3fETOhq.
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