Now Available:

City of Bozeman Community Housing Needs Assessment | February 2019

Background

On April 16, 2018, the City Commission adopted an updated Strategic Plan for the City of Bozeman.  Section 4.5 of the Strategic Plan Focused on a Well-Planned City with an emphasis on housing and transportation Choices.  The City of Bozeman completed a Community Housing Needs Assessment in February of 2019.

4.5 Housing and Transportation Choices

Develop a Comprehensive Affordable Housing Action Plan that includes, but is not limited to:

1. Mandates the creation of affordable housing across all dwelling unit types.
2. Provides prescribed flexibility in the manner in which the mandate can be accomplished.
3. Provides a substantial, broad-based and reliable source of funding for the construction of affordable housing and for affordable housing loans.
4. Actively encourages Bozeman’s major employers to develop workforce housing programs for their employees.

About

The purpose of Bozeman Community Housing Needs Assessment is to help the city identify, understand and address the housing challenges and problems faced by local residents and employees in the city.

The City of Bozeman, with the assistance of a Community Block Development (CDBG) grant, has contracted with Navigate, LLC., and her team to conduct extensive local interviews and data collection, an employer survey and focus groups with key stakeholders, those struggling with income-appropriate housing options and service providers to:

• Identify the type and price points of housing needed in the city of Bozeman to better serve local residents, employees and businesses;
• Understand housing accomplishments to date and identifying the opportunities and constraints to providing better and more income-appropriate housing for residents in the city; and 
• Help the city understand the “why behind the what.” We have all heard stories about the difficulties that residents and employees in Bozeman face with locating suitable and income-appropriate housing in the city. This Assessment will provide the data necessary to understand the roots of the problem, who it is most affecting, and where resources most need to be directed to best support local residents, employees and businesses to support a vibrant resident community and economy.                    

Housing Work Group

A Housing Working Group has been established as part of the Community Housing Needs Assessment process that represents a diversity of housing providers, employers, real estate professionals, lenders, elected officials, city staff and others to help provide direction, data and input throughout the data collection process.  This group, along with extensive participation from the general public and other stakeholders, will help carry the information from the Community Housing Needs Assessment into action upon the conclusion of this study.   The current group members include all the following businesses and organizations.