Planners project Missoula has to build as many as 27,000 new homes by 2045 to meet affordable housing needs for a growing population. To do that, the city’s new land use plan proposes a significant boost to the number of dwelling units allowed on many types of residential property across the city.
Community engagement specialist Ashley Brittner Wells at a recent public meeting said the draft focuses on a need for greater housing density without making Missoula “unrecognizable.”
“We want to keep the things we love about Missoula, while growing for the future and taking into account the change that’s already happening,” Brittner Wells said.
The city council will take up the draft plan later this year. Once it’s approved, council members will comb through the city’s zoning code and bring it in compliance with the plan.
Architect Colin Lane attended a recent meeting on the plan. He says he’s optimistic it will help address the “pain” around affordable housing.
“This is what the city can do,” Lane said. “The city can’t solve all parts of that equation, but this is what the city can do.”
Missoula isn’t the only city that needs to draw up a new land use plan. Montana legislators passed a law in 2023 requiring the state’s major communities to review and revise their zoning policies within three years. The law was one of several passed last year aimed at boosting housing affordability by making it easier to build.
Missoula residents can view and comment on the plan at engagemissoula.com. City officials encourage residents to get involved now. As more cities create these guides for growth, state law limits how much the public can have a say in site-specific zoning changes after a land use plan is in place.
