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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Montana Democrats release housing bills focused on helping renters

Montana Democrats Tuesday released a slate of housing bills for this legislative session.

Missoula representative Jonathan Karlen is co-sponsor on a bill that would create a tax credit for landlords who rent below market rate.

"We often hear about, you’ve got a lot — especially mom and pop landlords — who want to be keeping housing affordable for their residents. And so what this bill would do is provide a tax incentive for them to do just that," Karen said. 

It’s unclear how much that tax credit could cost taxpayers.

Montana renters are facing a market with few available rentals and prices that are outpacing their incomes.

Democrats are bringing bills to make it easier for renters to recoup security deposits and rental application fees.

The party also wants more investment in state affordable housing funds and homelessness prevention.

Lawmakers are also introducing legislation that could reduce barriers to Native American homeownership and bolster property rights of mobile home owners.

John joined the Montana Public Radio team in August 2022. Born and raised in Helena, he graduated from the University of Montana’s School of Media Arts and created the Montana history podcast Land Grab. John can be contacted at john.hooks@umt.edu
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