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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-24-25 Public Comment - R. Hines - Re_Housing commentFrom:Ruth Hines To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:Re: [EXTERNAL]Housing comment Date:Tuesday, June 24, 2025 9:22:29 AM Attachments:UDC comment Rue Hines.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Here's the pdf. Sorry about that. I was trying to send it from my phone while I'm at work. On Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 9:13 AM Bozeman Public Comment <comments@bozeman.net>wrote: Good morning, Our security protocols do not allow us to open Google Docs. Can you please resend your comment either in the body of an email or as a PDF attachment? Thank you, Mike Maas, MPA City of Bozeman | 121 N. Rouse Ave. | Bozeman, MT 59715 406.582.2321 Pronouns: he/him/his Have Questions? Ask BZN From: Ruth Hines <ruth.hines.1991@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 5:35 AM To: Bozeman Public Comment <comments@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: [EXTERNAL]Housing comment CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. UDC comment Rue Hines City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law. Hello, my name is Rue. I rent in Bozeman. Three and a half years ago, I moved to Bozeman on a temporary contract to drive for Karst Stage. I fell in love with the mountains and community, which led me to stay in Bozeman. When I first moved here, I went through a couple housing situations that went downhill due to unresponsive landlords and unpredictable roommates. I am grateful that one of my friends let me live with her temporarily while I was between housing. After 4 months of non-stop searching (and by a very big stroke of luck), I found an apartment that I can afford by myself. That does not mean my living situation is perfect. Unfortunately, I know I would not be able to afford another apartment by myself. My landlord is getting closer to retirement age and will likely sell the apartment. I have seen so many friends get priced out in similar situations, forcing them to move to other cities. I am afraid the same thing would happen to me. If my rent increases, I would have to get roommates again, or move. I’m frustrated that at 34-years-old, roommates may not be a thing of the past. In an ideal world, I would like to own a small single-family home, free from the noise and distraction that comes through thin-walled apartments. Free from roommates. This would allow me to feel more secure in having a future in Bozeman, instead of my future is being determined by landlords and property developers. At this time, homes in Bozeman are not affordable. One way revising the UDC would help create more affordable homes is to reduce the minimum lot size. I am not looking for anything big. I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with a large house. Allowing smaller lot sizes would hopefully create more affordable homes. With this change, becoming a homeowner may become a reality. I also wanted to share my experience as a former bus driver. When I came to work for Karst, it was obvious the bus system needs a major overhaul. Even with the growth of Bozeman, the buses were almost never full. Most of the passengers were heading to MSU, or had no other options for transportation. We have this great resource that is free to the public, but we’re not using it. I believe that is because it is not convenient for most residents. One way to make it more convenient, is if the commissioners allow for more housing density, especially around our transit routes. That way, our bus system would become more accessible by more residents. Currently, our roadways and parking are overcrowded. It would make sense to get ahead of this problem now in any way that we can. I hope to see a future for myself in Bozeman. I hope that one day I will own a home here. Reducing minimum lot sizes in the revised UDC could be part of making that dream possible. I also hope to see our public transportation system become more utilized. Allowing more housing density to be developed near transit lines could help make this a reality. Thank you.