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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Housing bills mandating more planning and denser development advance

File photo: For Sale Real Estate Sign In Front of Property.
Feverpitched/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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iStockphoto
File photo: For Sale Real Estate Sign In Front of Property.

Rising home costs exacerbated by ongoing population growth has left Montana with a lack of affordable housing. Several bills targeting zoning reforms to address the state’s current and future housing needs have advanced with bipartisan support.

The bills are modeled off of recommendations from a housing task force created by Gov. Greg Gianforte last summer. They would change zoning laws outlining where and what kind of housing can be built.

A bill from Great Falls Senator Jeremy Trebas would change city zoning to allow for duplex, triplex and fourplex homes on lots currently zoned for single family homes. Trebas’ bill had bipartisan support in committee and on the floor. H

Democratic Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell from Helena said, "I think this is a good bill that will give a little nudge to government authorities to do infill."

Opponents of the bill expressed concerns that it would impose top-down solutions for the housing crisis and infringe on local control.

Another bill from Columbus Senator Forrest Mandeville gets at broader zoning changes by creating the Montana Land Use Planning Act.

The act mandates that larger Montana cities develop comprehensive plans to account for their projected population growth and create housing to meet those increases. Mandeville said the bill promotes development while removing barriers that can stall the planning process.

“Instead of saying we're going to need 50,000 houses over the next 20 years, but we don't know where we're going to put them, the governing body is going to have to identify how they are going to make sure that those homes can be built,” Mandeville said.

The bill was written with the Montana League of Cities and Towns, and has an opt-in option for counties, should they want to participate.

Both policies have passed out of the Senate and are now under consideration in the House.

Ellis Juhlin is MTPR's Rocky Mountain Front reporter. Ellis previously worked as a science reporter at Utah Public Radio and a reporter at Yellowstone Public Radio. She has a Master's Degree in Ecology from Utah State University. She's an average birder and wants you to keep your cat indoors. She has two dogs, one of which is afraid of birds.

ellis.juhlin@mso.umt.edu
406-272-2568
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