Confusion as affordable home plan emerges

Seven months after joining a new state initiative to help eligible residents buy first-time homes, county commissioners have learned the program could also involve the building of mostly affordable housing for aspiring homeowners.

New construction would add much-needed units to an area struggling with rising housing costs and few available homes, but uncertainty remains around when the home-buying assistance will start, how construction might be funded, and where it could take place. 

Under the Montana Community Reinvestment Plan (MCRP), created in 2023 via House Bill 819, counties partner with a nonprofit “community reinvestment organization” (CRO) to cover up to 30% of a new home cost for buyers who make 60% to 140% of that county’s median income.