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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponses to General Public Input Survey on Affordable Housing as of 1-27-2015Responses to General Public Input Survey on Affordable Housing as of 1/27/2015 <strong>Please share your thoughts about affordable housing and regulations impacting affordable housing in Bozeman. </strong> Open-Ended Responses I think affordable housing is crucial. People who serve the public such as teachers, policemen etc. should be able to live in the community they serve. I'm concerned about the lack of affordable housing in Bozeman. I was dismayed when it was decided that the Story Mill area was to be another park. It would have been a great area to have affordable homes - the road and utilities probably would still have been viable for a low income subdivision with modular homes, duplexes or 4-plexes without the expense of a whole new development. Being next to the Boys & Girls Club would have been good for this use also. Parks are wonderful, and Bozeman has a lot of them - but each new park requires City money for upkeep and maintenance. Is it really our highest and best use? I think having housing available for those who are trying to make a living in Bozeman is a pressing need - our town shouldn't be for only the well-to-do who can afford expensive homes. We are retired and moved here from West Virginia 2.5 years ago to be close to our Grandchildren. The price differential for housing was nearly prohibitive and nearly prevented us from being able to make this move. We are also now faced with a doubling of our property tax expense. The house we purchased is roughly comparable to the one we left in West Virginia, but the price tag was $100,000 more , and for what? Simply being in Bozeman. It doesn't even seem logical, but where housing is concerned, nothing is logical. We have lived in bozeman area twice and returned to previous state because of high rent-we are retired now on fixed income & would like to retire in bozeman area if we could find affordable housing The city needs to have more low cost home options so I can start to build long term equity in the community and no longer need to locate rental property that is very low quality and requires me to have several room mates just to afford living in the community Bozeman has become too expensive for lower-middle class people to live in. Housing prices are way over-priced, when compared to wages earned here. Bozeman needs to stop building new expensive projects like the proposed Law & Justice Center, and concentrate on remodeling structures to keep city costs down. Keep the impact fees on new construction, to help support the infrastructure already in place. Stop bringing bonds to the voters for increased taxes, and use the current tax base we have to support our infrastructure. Bozeman is fast becoming the least affordable city in Montana to live and work. My heart goes out to native Bozeman residents who are pushed farther and farther away from Bozeman to maintain a home and their family. Shame on Bozeman for causing this situation for these native Bozeman residents! Bozeman seems to have a philosophy of "if we build it, they will come." I believe this philosophy is wrong, and only sought by the City to gain more and more taxes from new business construction. Let's just maintain what he have, with what we already have. I feel that we have affordable housing with condos and town homes. It didn't seem to work when developers were required to build affordable homes in their subdivisions. The RSL lots were kind of a joke. People could get a much nicer and larger space in a condo or town home. The square footage was so small that it drove the cost of construction way higher than it needed to be. First, owning a home is not an entitlement. Second, most of the proposed ideas from the other survey mortgage the city's future in order to provide more of what will be billed as "affordable" housing but will in all likelihood be high density low-quality homes in 5 years time. A better idea is to promote infill of currently undeveloped land (or repurposed land) with the current regulations intact, while keeping park and open space prioritized and connected to existing open spaces and trails. If lots are small, people still need areas to recreate. Additionally, with higher density housing comes a need for infrastructure - streets, traffic especially and in Bozeman the way we pay for that is impact fees. Reducing impact fees to encourage high density housing seems counter productive and will lead to traffic and parking problems. The city should not be subsidizing housing. Instead, pay the police officers, teachers, and other public employees that this movement is intended to benefit a living wage so they can live and prosper in Bozeman. We need to find a way to make more housing available in Bozeman and close to the downtown and university. I have many clients that come to me that work in Bozeman and we are having to find homes for them in Belgrade and other areas just b/c there is nothing affordable for them to buy. At times we find that families are re-locating all together due to this. There is not enough affordable housing in Bozeman. We have lived here for 25 years and we were fortunate to get a home at a very good price at that time. We would have a hard time buying home now for the same size and quality because it would be out of our price point. We have a young couple who are now expecting and want to buy their first home, but they are having a terrible time and want to stay in Bozeman. I do not know enough about regulations in order to respond. The city commission continually approves extravagant condo projects which in turn jack up rental prices in surrounding areas. Bozeman is increasingly becoming less affordable for those who earn a modest income, including those of us in professional positions who are victim to Bozeman's underlying assumption that the view is part of our pay. Single professionals cannot compete in an over-saturated rental market with students who can afford over-priced rentals by renting as a group of 4 or more. Most of us who have some grasp of fiscal responsibility have given up ever affording our own property (whether that be a condo, townhome, or freestanding home). In turn, sprawl is becoming increasingly a problem as more and more cheap housing options are built outside of the city and projects are built outward instead of upward. It'd be nice if the city provided affordable home loans and/or down payment grants to help people purchase homes. It's unrealistic to expect developers to build $150,000 single family homes in Bozeman and stay in business. But if there was a way to help families purchase a market value home with a qualifying loan program, that could help. Bozeman needs more housing for low wage workers. Without it, Bozeman will not be able to sustain present income from tourism. Hotels and motels, food service, rental car clerks and similar services workers need adequate, secure shelter. Loss of these workers should be feared by city taxpayers. Bozeman will be hurt by poor service to travelers. Workforce earners cannot compete for housing with students subsidized by parents and student loans. The real estate industry claims there are enough apartments here. Maybe, but they’re occupied by students. In competition for housing, students living off campus keep workers away from their job sites. The city is not and should not be in the home loan business. A meeting on Jan. 13 featured plans to make home purchasing available for people meeting financial criteria. This is the most expensive, wasteful way to create workforce housing. It would increase Bozeman’s carbon footprint. It would create sprawl. It would decrease agricultural land use. It should not be the focus of the city’s housing plan. The average size apartment in the United States is 800 square feet, a definition of what is “enough.” Instead of stand-alone houses the city “affordable” housing plan should focus on apartment buildings, row houses, town houses, condominiums and duplexes. Not every window must have a view of mountains. Cluster housing reduces Bozeman’s carbon footprint, keeps distance from work sites smaller, has kids spend less time on school buses, reduces distances from homes to stores-parks-libraries. These are benefits that would make living in Bozeman bearable for people with less income as they work to make life pleasant for people able to travel. Without making workforce housing a reality, Bozeman will not be as pleasant for anyone. Exploiting low earners is not a sustainable plan. The city must be careful as it tries to regulate the housing market as hefty fees on developers only increase prices by them passing those costs on. The market determines the price and no city or government has the right to control that. There are affordable homes in the valley, just not as many in the city. While the thought of everyone owning a home is a noble thought, not everyone is responsible with their finances to own a home. Education and possible second mortgage for down-payment assistance provided by the city to people who have attended coursework on home ownership and have proven financial responsibility would be eligible for such support. Property taxes are also on the rise and contribute to the lack of affordability in Bozeman. Let the market determine the price and work on programs that can assist people in getting into a home. The City cannot pay for the maintenance of its present park system that it owns and requires from new development. It cannot pay for its current urban forest. It cannot pay for its stormwater system.The City cannot pay for its transportation needs. All these have been in the news in the past 18 months. When you can't pay for what you are legally obligated to do please do not take on extras like housing that you have no legal obligation to do. It is foolish and bad faith with the public you are supposed to represent. What do City programs do you propose to cut in order to find money? my observation is that regulation to force a housing product at a specific price point does not attain a long term solution. After the "affordable house" is tranferred for the subdivider/ building, the value will continue to fluctuate with the market. If the City is truly committed to this, the City should build and operating a housing project which is only available to persons with a specific income range and other qualifications. The planning policies regarding accessory dwellings and second dwellings on existing plats (within the NCOD), policies such as lot size requirements, should be modified to help Bozeman meet affordable housing needs. This is an issue that really strikes at the deterioration of the quality of life for younger people in my generation. I attended the most recent community meeting on this subject and the older people against these measures do not understand the position we are in when it comes to low wages and high cost of housing here in Bozeman. It's not as simple as working harder when your employer doesn't give you that option. I have 2 master's degrees and work 3 part- time jobs, so it isn't just a matter of hard work I am all for any measure whether it comes from regulation or tax increases. I would even go as far as tax increases on local companies over a certain amount of employees who are not paid a LIVABLE wage, not a minimum wage, to set up a fund to offset the costs of housing. Also, has the city looked into any market manipulation by banks, developers, and real estate companies to inflate the costs of housing? What about tax incentives for people to donate or sell land to be developed exclusively for affordable housing? What about residency requirements for people to have to live here a certain amount of time? If it is a second home, then raise taxes on them to pay for it. Nationwide 20% of people believe their rents or mortgages are too high. Bozeman's residents have made a decision to live here, if they can't afford the prices, they can make different choices. Our Bozeman property taxes have far out-paced inflation. There is no need to provide rent/housing purchase subsidies to people choosing to live here as there are many other living options available across the country. My husband works for the city and makes only $33,900. We cannot even hope to afford something here. Please address why condos like Block M and Greenhouse costing $630,000 are being approved by the city. Affordable housing is a supply and demand issue in Bozeman. A bigger question is are we dealing with a Bozeman affordable housing issue or a Gallatin Valley affordable housing issue? The supply is in the outlying bedroom communities of Four Corners and Belgrade where it is cheaper to develop, the demand is that everyone wants to live in- town Bozeman. What incentives can you give to developers to build affordable smaller homes in the City limits without handcuffing them to rules and regulations that are to burdensome? Affordable housing should be a priority for the city. The issue should be looked at holistically, however, by (i) considering housing near (not just within) the city limits, (ii) including accessory dwelling units and rental homes that are owned and managed by small landlords (not just those in multi-family structures), and (iii) considering the adequacy (safety and comfort) of lower-cost housing (not just the number of dwelling units) as an important part of the equation. Inclusionary zoning should not be dismissed simply because it did not produce results during the downturn - in many other locales, these policies performed very well due to better timing of their adoption. Regulation of rental units should be considered. Transportation and actual travel patterns should be considered. The Growth Policy's emphasis on neighborhoods (with amenities) should be supported. I am not well informed in the subject. I know for me to retire to bozeman a home there will cost more than my current Blgs home. As a retiree that is not acceptable fir me financially. I am looking for options & appreciate the attempts of this study. The City of Bozeman should stay away from any home ownership program. It is a conflict of interest to both develop and regulate housing. If the City wants to provide direct financial support for non-profit development ok but no government owned or operated housing. Any City funding should first be targeted to supporting their own employees and then other essential workers. A silent second mortgage might be a good tool. It isn't the role of government to assure that you own a house in the town of your choice. People have had to relocate for employment or other needs since cities first began. The first duty of the city in regards to housing is to ensure that each home is responsible for its impacts on the community. Homeownership isn't for everyone or a good decision at every time in your life. Bozeman can't pay for its existing bills as is. Adding more expenses for new programs is foolish and damaging to the community. I live in Belgrade, as do many people who would like to live in Bozeman and simply can't afford to. We need more affordable housing in Belgrade, too. More than that, we need to identify what is affordable when a person or family is living on wages that don't come close to what the lower end of the market terms "affordable." Please understand that if wages kept up with worker productivity since the late 70's, minimum wage would be above $20/hr now. The living wage for an individual in Yellowstone County is $14.40/hr according to the Alliance for a Just Society's Living Wage Report. it would be even higher in Gallatin County. Few jobs pay that, so affordable housing needs to be defined by what a person earning minimum wage can afford to pay while paying for food, clothing, utilities, and other essentials. There is a huge need for affordable rental housing in Bozeman. Almost every day, I talk to someone who is homeless, in danger of becoming homeless, unable to leave a roommate situation because of lack of options, living in housing inadequate for their needs, and/or paying more than they can really afford. This is really at a crisis level. Bozeman's rental housing market is extremely constrained, especially for low income families and individuals. Bozeman needs to structure its ordinances and programs to encourage low income rental housing. The City should put in place a local option Real estate tax, or something similar, that would collect a 1% surcharge on all homes sold for over $250,000.00. The funds collected could then be used to mitigate impact fees and infrastructure costs for projects targeted at very low income families and individuals. I live in Belgrade because affordable housing is such an issue in Bozeman. I originally lived in Bozeman, but was able to get a Habitat for Humanity house in Belgrade that I could afford. I loved Bozeman and think it was a huge disservice when the mobile home park was closed by the Boys and Girls Club. Yes, there is a huge need for truly affordable housing in Bozeman. We badly need subsidized housing for own and rent in the Gallatin Valley, preferrably in Bozeman so we don't contribute to all the long distance commuting that we already have with cheaper housing in Livingston, Belgrade, Manhattan, 3 Forks It is currently impossible to find nice, affordable housing to rent or buy in Bozeman; affordable being $600-700 per month. I moved to Bozeman in 1997. I found a very nice apt for $525/month. After 2 yrs I bought a wonderful condo (950 sq. feet) at the end of Dell Place for $63,000. I had to sell the condo and moved to a duplex at 226 E. Koch for $525/month. It was very comfortable, I liked it very much, and I lived there for 8 yrs. I lost my job and could not find another as the job market was/is still very tight. Subsequently I had to move. Jobs are also a problem but that is another issue, isn’t it? However the two are related. Thankfully a friend of a friend allowed me and my 2 cats to live with her at a nice mobile home park on Springhill Lane. I am now living “in town” looking after a woman who is 102 yrs old. I receive no pay for this but do receive free room and board. I receive SS ($1450/month) which is more generous that I had anticipated as I worked as a computer programmer analyst in the healthcare industry in Houston, TX for 18 yrs. I have been out of the computer field since 1997 and at age 64 am no longer “up to snuff” with the new computer technology that has since evolved. Jobs are hard to find. However, several recent opportunities are promising. So I am hopeful. Because Bozeman has boomed too fast with too many wealthy people moving into the area in a short period of time, a dearth of affordable housing has been created. Most available jobs do not/cannot support available housing for “normal” people. We need to get our priorities straight. Low- to moderately priced housing and rental units are needed to match low to middle income jobs. Because Bozeman has grown too fast, becoming overly expensive, affordable housing for many is lacking, or non-existent. By the way, I DO support more open space. Build UP, not OUT. Afffordable housing in Bozeman is a huge problem! My 2 adult children, ages 29 and 26, are living with me because of lack of affordable rentals AND lack of living-wage jobs. It seems to me that income is a critical issue too, and a problem like housing needs to be worked on from multiple directions at once. Thanks for taking input on the affordable housing planning process. Affordable housing is very needed. People who work in low paying jobs in Bozeman should not have to travel 30 minutes and more to get to work. All housing is extremely expensive, and when there is discounted housing there are a multitude of applicants that can be overwhelming. Also discounted housing typically excludes students so that makes it even more difficult. As a young couple working and going to MSU it is very difficult to make ends meet with the rent prices in Bozeman. Define "affordable." If it means two people working two jobs, that is questionable. But one cop or teacher or waiter, and one caregiver or parent together can afford a home, Yes we need more affordable housing, to buy and or rent. Any plan that works with Habitat for Humanity could be great. We desperately need it. Rent is reasonable with a variety of options and places to live. But to ever buy a home or settle down would be impossible until retirement. Un affordable Nothing under two thousand a month I live on Lamme, and I see housing that was low-income being bought up, a block at a time, to put in town houses, very expensive. This is an old story for /Bozeman, which I have seen since I moved here in 1960. By our housing, we determine where our values are...People buying second or third homes at the expense of REASONABLE housing doesn't make sense to me. where are teachers, firefighters, the service industry...Where do they go? Yes to affordable housing all the way! I would like to see more affordable housing to support the people working and/or retired in Bozeman so they don't have to spend time and money on longer commutes as well as provide more sustainable policies for people to live and work in the same town. While we are working on raising the livable wage and to close the gender pay gap, increasing affordable housing and integrating it into existing and newly developed neighbors is essential for us to be a Diverse, Livable and Sustainable City. Thank you The city should zone for/encourage the development of a trailer court to replace the one destroyed out at Story Mill. We live just outside Bozeman and know people who can't afford to live in Bozeman. Affordable housing is necessary for any city that wants to viable. Such housing should not be set off from other housing as we have seen the negative effects of this in many cities in the eastern U.S. Affordable housing is available in neighboring communities, such as Belgrade. Increase the Streamline services to those communities. We need affordable housing. Our low income workers need to be close to their jobs in Bozeman and not have the transportation expense of driving in from other towns. Affordable housing can be attractive and energy efficient if properly planned. It should also cater to families with children by having playgrounds and nearby child care. I am aware that many low wage workers cannot find housing they can afford in Bozeman. From volunteering with Family Promise, I know participants have a hard time finding a place to live. Homelessness has devastating effects on a family. I don't know what policies would help, but I favor making it easier for families to get back on their feet. Builders point to impact fees being a problem, but we have to pay for infrastructure some way. Wish I could suggest a solution. I would like to see the city government encouraging the development of new, affordable housing options. I do not support subsidized housing. Honestly, if you can't afford to live in Bozeman move to the outskirts and save until you can. My old commute was far worse than Belgrade. I know plenty of people who make the commute. The dream is to provide as affordable of housing as possible with the cheapest cost to the taxpayers, right? Here's a virtually no cost option: get rid of the 4 person per house limit. A stroke of a pen can instantly increase the housing capacity of Bozeman by as much as 10%, lowering rents everywhere. There are many housing units that have extra bedrooms that technically are not rent-able and many other houses have extra rooms that could easily become bedrooms. There are two main arguments in opposition to changing the law. The primary is what the City has termed - rather insultingly - the "used car lot." The second is what I've heard some people racistly refer to as the "whole bunch of Chinese" problem where way too many people occupy a house. The first is already dealt with as in many areas of Bozeman there is a two car + two visitor maximum. In other areas, parking is probably less of a problem, although a 4 car per household max for over-4 unrelated person households could be instituted if this is a sticking point. Or just not allow parking within a 3 block radius of the residences of the current commissioners. Cause, let's be honest, the real worry with this issue is that those passing the law might just be slightly inconvenienced at some point. The second problem has some merit. Many houses simply can't handle more than a certain amount of people. Knowing that limit is hard, but one way to do it would be to limit the number of tenants to the number of bedrooms a house has. An application system can be set up so that landlords can apply to have more than 4 unrelated people living in a house together. This is a no- brainer solution. There may be other issues that would need to be resolved, but they would be easily surmountable if those in charge would take a chance to care about the quality of life of those too poor or too busy to sit on the city council or come to the city council meetings and be prepared to deal with the slight inconvenience of a couple more people living on their block. (Please note that I'm taking this tone not to be insulting but because it is one that is quickly taken by so many who have to deal with this arcane system. You may not hear their voices very often, but they are there, and they are sick of having to break the law just to make ends meet with a constant fear of ending up on the streets. They feel like the only thing stopping them from being lawful is the pretentiousness of those in power in Bozeman. Frankly, with some of the arguments I've heard, it's not hard to agree with them.) Not an expert, but I can see that low and mid-wage citizens have a hard time finding housing. That does not speak well for Bozeman's future. it is a simple matter of supply and demand. Bozeman is growing at a rate that is not sustainable in my opinion. Although the municipal waste water and drinking water facilities have been recently upgraded to keep up with the growth, our roads are becoming more and more congested and quickly degrading in town. The cost of housing is a limiting parameter that keeps the growth from increasing at an even larger rate. If more affordable housing is provided, then the quality of life shared by the community is reduced. Longer drivetime, longer waiting in lines at stores, potentially higher crime (statistically this is likely). Furthermore, the cost of building has gone up and this is reflected in the rental market. People need to realize property owners aren't necessarily being greedy, they're just adjusting rent costs appropriately with the rest of the housing market. If you cannot afford Bozeman, there's other parts of the Gallatin valley, state, and of course country, that is more affordable. In terms of student housing, how about MSU recognizes the same concept. Don't accept every student that applies to the university. Maintain a higher prestige by forcing applicants to EARN their entrance as opposed to feeling entitled to a degree from MSU. Can habitat lead the way to more houses being erected? Like many communities that are largely for the affluent who inhabit most of the area, people here are insular and want those who work in the service industries to live down the road in Belgrade. I think that we must make room for truly affordable properties in and near Bozeman to avoid becoming something like a gated community. Diversity enriches. I manage a hotel. I was able to procure a rental property when the market was low and have thus far been fortunate that our landlords haven't sought an increase. However, even with a fairly decent income if the rent was raised to a price consistent with the rest of the market, we would little choice but to move. So the impact on those in lower wage positions - such as the service sector - must by exponential. I have employees facing either homelessness or leaving town. In the short run this likely somewhat positive for our market. Banks will be more eager to lend and the increase in privately held capital will make our economy look good on paper. However, in the long run this will have a serious effect on aggregate demand in retail and other industries as an increasing portion of individual incomes go to housing. We ought to get out in front of it. Since we do not pay reasonable wages to many of our low income residents it's reasonable to see they have low income housing. They serve us and we should support them. I think affordable housing in Bozeman is both needed and would be a benefit to our community. Many young professionals working full time in well paying fields can hardly afford a place to live in the city let alone people working in lower paying, much needed fields (service, child care etc.). affordable housing is an urgen need. I am not in the know enough about how Bozeman's regulations are impacting affordable housing. I do know that rentals seem very limited and expensive. Single family homes for sale are very expensive which may be because of land costs. I have heard that Bozeman has high impact fees for new building and also has lengthy wait times for building permits. Those things might be having a negative effect on costs. From what I've seen in the papers, advertising there is very little affordable housing for low income wage earners. On a personal note, our daughter is a recent MSU graduate, making minimum wage, and has very difficult time finding affordable housing. There is a great need for this in the Bozeman are I don't think there is a need to make housing any more affordable. There are other places in Gallatin County where a person can live if they can't afford to live in Bozeman. When I volunteered at Family Promise last week, the woman said they hoped to be in their own space by Christmas but she was worried about $1,095/mo for a trailer in a trailer park & being able to make it work for her family... The working poor need help! Affordable housing is much needed -- but with parking! Letting developers build dense housing without adequate parking makes residential streets hazardous at night with the lines of cars, trailers, and campers. Inact a $1 per airline ticket tax, which will be absorbed in the ticket price. Use the roughly $900,000/year revenue to entice builders by guaranteeing a certain number of leases for a period of time. Essentially do exactly what we do to entice new airlines. Guarantee leases to entice them to build but the city will likely never have to pay the guarantees or to a minimal amount. As a high-growth community, we need to find a new funding model for municipal services that doesn't solely rely on increasing property taxes. (A slightly tired example, although a good one I think, is the passage of a local option sales tax in the State Legislature. But I hope there are other options and ideas out there as well.) Under the current model, we are pricing people out of the community, and it makes me sad for my hometown. It is particularly troubling for me as a Democratic Representative, as we are supposedly the "party for the poor" - but our policies in Bozeman's urban center have increased the cost of living to the extent that low-income folks can't afford to live here and move to Belgrade or other satellite communities where the cost of living is lower. Then the irony comes: these low income neighbors who have been priced out of Bozeman are voting for Republicans in overwhelming numbers, even though it's the Dems who are supposedly fighting for their interests. Clearly, our left-leaning urban policies aren't helping our low-income neighbors. We need to seek out a new model. In twenty years, I want Bozeman to be a diverse, welcoming, mixed income community - not simply a wealthy, liberal urban utopia like Boulder, CO. Rep. Zach Brown HD 63 (SW Bozeman) While I absolutely am in favor of affordable housing, and I think it is crucial to ensure that those with lower incomes can live and work in Bozeman if they choose to, many policies and regulations intended to help the situation often have the opposite effect. Please be cautious and make sure that additional policy does not have unintended consequences. If builders aren't building affordable homes, it is probably because they don't see it as economical to do so, and it is worth working to understand why that is and perhaps changing the underlying incentive structure. CofBoz allowed members of the Blixseth family to scrape a viable "mobile home" park on the NE side leaving a large # of families & retired people homeless. Owner could not develop. Public Land Trust bought the property. 12/15 CC mtg will authorize paying $4.5 million to PLT to convert property to A PARK! CofBoz has no plan for affordable, AKA workforce housing. CofBoz residents have at least 7 outlets for recreation/environment/green spaces but no room for people who are at the lower end of the work force. We are disgraced. I'll never make enough $ to have a home in Bozeman unfortunately. And I have a professional job in an office environment. I just have too much education debt that offsets owning a home. Whoops. Rent is way too high. Especially for single parent families (or just families in general). MSU has played a large role in this by expanding far too rapidly and not incorporating community input so more planning could be done. People really aren't paid enough either. Minimum wage is too low as well. Adding more affordable housing only in terms of home prices will do little to impact the rental market. Landlords are charging way more in rent than their mortgage payments (sometimes almost double in some cases). Saving to purchase is almost impossible with the rental rates as high as they are. There needs to be more affordable rentals in the area besides the income restricted places. Even those making much more than these income restriction levels are becoming house poor. The cost of living is so high in Bozeman. If you want good/high quality workers in all sectors, you need to make it affordable for people to live there Affordable housing is tied to income inequality, and Bozeman is now filling up with wealthy refugees from the lowlands. Since the wealthy have increasingly rigged the rules in their favor, Bozeman could levy taxes & fees on oversized overpriced housing, vehicles and luxury goods to subsidize affordable housing. We might consider an experimental housing law to encourage locally sourced sustainable building practices. While there is high demand from people with socially tainted excess dollars, we may as well get a 'move-in" tax from them to aid the less successful "predators" (poor people) in having basic shelter. After all, if we don't help them, who's going to flip burgers & scrub toilets & care for the aged? I think we had it right when we passed the affordable housing ordinance some years back. It turned out that immediately thereafter it was not needed, but now it is. Having moved to Bozeman 4 years ago, I was amazed (even during the recession) at the limited availability and high cost of rental apartment. One consideration might be to ease impact fees for moderate and low income rental units. Good rentals are SO hard to find in Bozeman right now. I can't imagine what it's like for people with lower income. I've been in the same rental for 5 years. We live in a 2-bedroom duplex for about $825. For new renters, the rent would be $1000. We are a family of 4 with little room, but we can't afford to move into a 3-bedroom because it's too expensive, around $1200. If there was affordable housing (greater supply) like additional apartment complexes (to ease the college student out of Bozeman homes) I would image prices would then become more affordable and easier to find a suitable place for a family. I don't like urban sprawl. I feel downtown should have more apartments (rather than new hotels) and downtown homes should be able to remodel or expand - including apartments over garages. That way our neighborhood schools have kids from the neighborhood. We live next to Whittier School and love it, but don't have many kids in the neighborhood. You'll lose a lot of the vital elements of the community that make Bozeman such a great, interesting and diverse place to live. Those whoe can't afford to live in the city will have to commute, traffic will exponentially get worse and then really will have become our unofficial nickname: Boz-Angelese. Keep it affordable and the Bozeman will be an open and exciting place to live and visit. Bozeman would benefit from more affordable housing, particularly rental units. In this market, we see over-crowding and homelessness for lack of affordable rentals. I know that we lack affordable housing in Bozeman and the surrounding valley. I am fortunate enough to have family that has lived here for generations and, because of that, was able to buy my own home from my family. If I had not have been able to do that I doubt I would be owning a home at this time. Also not sure how I would be able to afford rent at the rates currenlty available. Especially as so many people are making minimum wage. Way less than a livable wage. Also when we shut down a trailor park, one of the affordable choices, it makes it much more difficult. My 20 year old daughter struggled to find affordable housing. She was working at a nursing home as a housekeeper, but could find no where to rent on her salary, so ended up being forced to move to California. Affordable housing is essential to the economic diversity that comprises a healthy community. There should be room in Bozeman for all incomes and walks of life. affordable housing is a crucial need in Bozeman. It impacts our children, our schools, and our economy in general. A good supply of rentals which are affordable, as well as housing under $200,000 needs to be available. I served on the affordable housing task force in 2009? and was very disappointed not to see our recommendations implemented. The city needs to hire a person to oversee a concerted effort to provide affordable housing. I lived in Bozeman for about 25 years. I now live just outside Bozeman so I am a little reticent to provide input. However, I did serve on the Bozeman City-County Planning Board for several years when it was a joint board. During that time we talked a lot about affordable housing. Something that perplexed me is why I could never get a good discussion going about the need for more trailer courts or alternatively, if you want a slightly different view, Manufactured Home Parks or Subdivisions (a different concept, not a different name for trailer court. This came to mind the day after the article in the Chronicle soliciting input because in that paper it was mentioned that a 90 unit trailer park was removed by a developer in the area in or near the Story Mill Park. The developer later went bankrupt. That action represented a loss of 90 low-income affordable housing units. What then is it that we have against Mobile Home Parks or Manufactured Home subdivisions. I think it is the stigma of "trailer trash" and the poorly maintained trailer parks and frankly the perception of low profit margin. I know of some pretty poorly run trashy "parks" but there are also some good ones within Bozeman City limits. I was impressed when I walked into the one on the corner of 19th and Oak while knocking on doors during the last election cycle. There may be better examples, but it seems to me if there is going to be more affordable housing, the strategy of demanding developers add a couple of low income units does not really work. I wonder out loud if there is a way to incentivise good manufactured housing or trailer parks and ways of helping people be able to obtain loans to get into such housing (Banks, Savings and Loans, Credit Unions, etc.). Some times this housing can be a stepping stone to other housing as well. I understand that this idea is probably not popular, but it might be a way to attack the affordable housing problem. There is a serous shortage of affordable housing in bozeman. You should be able to find a 2 bedroom house for less than $1000,but that seems rare. And having a pet seems to be the dealth warrant of housing around here. Just because there are some bad pretty owners out there doesn't mean we're all like that. It should be a car by car basis one that landlord can approve the pet. If you find a place to rent that allows pets, hold onto it! I am currently looking to bit my first home in bozeman abs I can't afford anything here! It's really sad that the market is so high right now. There's hardly anything under $250k and that is a lot of the people who ate looking for housing to buy now. Unless Tage city wants to be full of out of towners w the help of mommy and daddys money, this market had to balance out. It's squeezing out good hats workin people and just making way for the rich and privileged. I love bozeman and would love to some down here, raise a family, and put money back into the community by working and living in this great city. I hope this survey helps get the message across to whoever could help this problem. Thank you Bozeman is an fairly "elite" tourism-based city. As a planner for the towns of Breckenridge and Snowmass, CO, I know those cities use real estate transfer taxes and require affordable housing mitigation for luxury home and condo development, and commercial projects as well. Developers must mitigate the impact of the additional workforce generated by their products. The resultant "affordable housing" units are then offered (usually via lottery, and / or after creating a wait list) to full-time employed persons living and working in the town or city (not students). The units appreciate only to the extent of inflation, the housing authority monitors their sale, and they cannot be rented, unless built as rentals.. The affordable units are also part of the HOA for the subdivision, but their assessments are lower. The minimum size of a unit is a 400 SF efficiency, but they run the gamut all the way to 1500 SF homes. See: http://co- snowmassvillage.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=143 and http://www.townofbreckenridge.com/index.aspx?page=68 Buying a house is impossible for many of my friends who have been working hard and trying to buy in bozeman. Many are forced out of town and having to commute. To profit is made on housing. Bozeman should join forces with non profit builders and organizations to create affordable housing. To many builders are raking in huge profits on the back of potential home buyers. I don't think putting mandates on developers to hold some part of their development aside as 'affordable housing' is the answer. I think tax incentives and waiver of impact fees on projects that fit the affordable housing mold would be more effective. Encourage construction of quality affordable housing through allowing the developer to still make a profit. What's the point, otherwise? Would you build new homes just to break even? The only reason I can even afford my rent is because I know the owner and rent from them. I could not afford my own place whatsoever. Also, I would love to buy a house eventually. But with the housing prices here, that is basically impossible. So what are we going to get? All native Bozeman and Montanans are going to have to be forced to move elsewhere, or live in dumps and with a low quality of life. While rich people from elsewhere move in. It's just so frustrating! This is my home! My thoughts are that affordable housing in Bozeman does not exist. I have a friend that makes double minimum wage and it took him 5 months to find a place that he could actually afford. I live in a family friends apartment and feel lucky every day that I have reasonable rent. I make nearly double minimum wage as well and would need to have roommates (multiple) in my mid thirties or I would not be able to afford health care, food, and other necessities. I've lived in Bozeman for over 20 years and I have a good job. BUT, I'm a single parent responsible for all of our expenses and even though I have been saving for that down payment, home prices have been going up and up and up! It's to the point that ordinary working folks---teachers, nurses, fireman, can not afford to purchase a home in this town! My biggest concern is that there are a LOT of out-of-staters buying up apartment buildings and other rentals. I don't know what we as a community can do about that but this is not in our towns best interest. We don't want our town to stop being what people love about it! Even our neighbors to the west, Missoula think we are a town full of snobs? And some people in Helena see us that way too! It's troubling to me. Perhaps those of us who aren't able to "get in" are just going to have to leave this town to the wealthy. How tragic. I wish the City was more into rehabbing old structures in the core, rather than seeing them torn down, to be replaced by luxury townhomes and luxury hotels. Shelter is not a luxury. I hear frequently, "The City doesn't want to be a landlord." Also, I have heard that the City wants the long term coin from hookups on the blocks with higher density (townhomes, hotels). Bad to push the poor people to the outskirts. Recent development and current constructions north of the parking garage will inevitably cause rent increases in this area. I am concerned that the existing affordable housing will soon be out of reach for low-income renters and homeowners, as is always the case with gentrification and upscale development. I feel it is vital to keep the north side of Bozeman affordable. Low and moderate income neighbors contribute a friendliness and neighborliness that is an important part of the Bozeman vibe. As in all cities, crime increases when poverty increases. Loosing the affordable housing that already exists as well as planning for new affordable housing within the expanding perimeters of Bozeman are equally important. Please do not forget the terrible outcome of the more than 90 low-income people forced out of their homes at the Bridger View Trailer Court. I still feel a sense of shame about this (as a community member) and so should city planners. That site, near the Boys and Girls Club, would be a good place for consideration of affordable housing units; perhaps using land that is part of the planned new park. The distribution of wealth is decided at the gov't and administrative level. Building permits that encourage high-income living eventually impact low-income people. I am not against development and understand its benefits. However, the impact on people of modest means should be considered at the beginning of the building permit and development processes, rather than when development creates a problem that needs to be solved. I am a veteran that has been approved for my va home loan, but even with that guarantee I still can not find a home that is within reach. I am originally from Chicago and the prices for homes seem to be equivalent to those in Bozeman. Based on what I know about the job market in Bozeman, I've never understood how anyone can afford to own a home. Now that I've moved to Bozeman, I anticipate being able to own, but I believe that is only possible because a have a work from - home position that allowed me to keep my Chicago salary. My rent is 50% of my take home paycheck, that's with a roommate. I would like to buy soon, but I can't afford a house in BZN. I have an full time job, this should be possible, without having two incomes, but is not in BZN. Young professionals don't want to live in run down rentals or cheaply made complexes with paper thin walls. This is what we think affordable housing is, show us differently. Affordable housing has to be for more than college students. I am reaching an age where I don't want a roommate anymore but I can't afford a spacious place to live without the shared cost. Give me an option that give me a chance to live in my hometown without having to pay the "mountain tax." There is no reason for housing to cost what it does in Bozeman. We don't have the industry to support the cost of living here. It is insane to me that the rental market and investment market control so much of what locals have to pay. I have a Master's degree, a well paying job but no family to pay my downpayment so I will not be buying a house. The programs here are for people who are poverty level which I am not. I am 27 and I have roommates. They are also educated professionals. Bozeman house price skyrocketed for the 30 plus years Lived there never was able to afford a home there. Without joint income from my spouse, I would never be able to purchase a home on my personal income Average wages and cost of housing does not match up. I currently make around 30k, and the housing market that matches that salary is very few and far between. Housing from 150k to 200k are very limited. Other young professionals I know that live here, feel the same way. Maybe forced to leave MT, for better wages and wages that match more of the current housing market. I am a native of MT and would like to stay but Bozeman's housing is more aimed to the wealthy. I think they should build 500 TeePees on the Cottonwood Hills golf course to solve the problem and promote cultural sensitivity. It is extremely hard to find housing from $150-200 k, which is our price range. I work with homeless families and am appalled at the lack of affordable housing in Bozeman. All the families I work with have jobs - if not multiple jobs - and are mostly living in motels. They can't find any housing and certainly buying a home is out of the realm of possibility when then can't complete the first step of obtaining affordable rental housing. Professionals can't even dream of buying a home here. Bozeman is going to have a terrible time attracting or keeping businesses when they are unable to find employees who are able to afford stable housing. Service jobs and larger employers like the hospital are already having a tough time. Bozeman needs to create affordable housing - both rentals and homes for sale - if it wants to thrive. Right now the price of housing is crippling for families. Personally I would like to see our community's children able to grow up in a home, not a motel room. I am a single professional who grew up in Bozeman and has family here. Despite having my M.A. and a good job, I cannot afford housing. I rent from family because I cannot afford to rent anywhere in Bozeman. I have been looking to buy but because I have only my own income to depend on, I have mostly been priced out of the market. I know many young professionals such as myself that are becoming increasingly discouraged about the price of living in Bozeman. Bozeman is my home and always has been but unfortunately it has become a community that only supports the wealthy. Educators, social workers, police officers, and others who give so much to this community cannot afford to live here. It's hard for a college student to live in Bozeman without wealthy parents paying for everything. With more affordable housing, rent could be cheaper if there are more places to live. If there are more places to live the rental companies can't charge whatever they want. I lived in Bozeman for 6 years. We paid $850-$950 in rent. My mother just bought an older house in Belgrade for $175k. She's a single mother, and it's still cheaper than rent. I know cheap housing isn't the best idea to keep a certain standard of living up, but affordable housing is. I'm living in Quincy, IL and I'm paying $800/month for a relatively small house with a garage and small yard. Here, the house isn't worth $100,000. So renters there aren't even charging as much for the property value there as they are here. I'm sure some of the people in Bozeman don't want to sell their property because they'd either have to invest too much money to fix the property, or they don't want to put out their tenants. I thought that there was something going on with the mobile homes across from Smiths, but I haven't seen anything. Even a hedge row around them would be nice. I think you could build several complexes in walking distance from major areas. However, I do understand that is a premium area, and property values are probably higher so businesses would fight over the land to build. Some of the condos further away from Bozeman still cost a lot more than we could have been able to afford. We looked at several areas, and most of them had younger adults that were loud and party frequently, or cost too much to afford. The other option I could see, is building in a cheaper area and have more busses running for public transportation. That wouldn't effect Bozeman as much, but I think it may be the only other option. Or building in the Three Forks/Manhattan area and getting some affordable restaurants and businesses around. At this point, you have to go to the gas station if you want to buy a soda or anything at night, granted there is a Subway. Otherwise, you have to run in to Belgrade for fast food. I think some commercial business would bring more individuals to the smaller towns versus Bozeman only. They want to live in Bozeman for the quality of living, and because there's nowhere else to go besides Livingston to live and have any local businesses. Whitehall is the closest town eastward with any fast food, the A&W. Everywhere else is just a place to live, and all business flows from Bozeman. I worked for Vann's, Home Depot and Jonny's and delivered from West Yellowstone to Butte, White Sulfur Springs, Gardiner, and anything in between. I drove 25,000 miles for Home Depot alone on deliveries in 7 months. Sometimes all you could stop at was gas station for dinner. I would frequently keep food and drinks in the vehicle in case we couldn't find anywhere to buy anything. My point, long winded as it may be, is it's not always that people don't want to live in other areas, but they feel disconnected there. I think Bozeman needs to focus on how picky they are with stipulations involving the extra steps contractors have to make and just let them make safe, liveable homes, or push for surrounding towns to get nicer homes. Like I said, all business flows to Bozeman, and making surrounding towns prosper will still help Bozeman to prosper. I am extremely frustrated with the cost of rentals in Bozeman as well as the general lack of availability. Renters really don't feel like they have much of a choice. How are renters ever going to be able to save to buy a home when more than 30% of their income is going to rent? too much sprawl. too many developers deciding how our awesome town gets 'planned.' more space-efficient campus housing needed to open up space in the rental market for non-students. no more $500K townhouses downtown -- that space could have been a lot of affordable housing. Lots of cities have superb models for affordable housing without sprawl - we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Simple supply and demand. I studied hard and work hard, now I can live where I please. Don't punish those who have made sacrifices and responsible decisions because others have not. Can't afford to live in Bozeman? Fine, then move. Affordable housing, especially affordable rental housing, is crucial in Bozeman. The ability of college kid to "stack up" in rentals, sharing those costs, has made it nearly impossible for families to afford to rent in this area. There are also very limited options. The City needs to be involved in providing incentives to developers to set aside a portion of their projects for affordable housing units. Living in a desirable town is always more expensive. We don't try to control the 20% increase in a cup of coffee here in Bozeman, so why is the City trying to burden its taxpayers with subsidies to support 'affordable' housing. Montana is a big state, lots of places to live and work which are less costly. The impact fees are not the problem, as new construction must pay its fair share of costs. It is not right for existing home owners/tax payers to support non-Bozeman, or current, residents in the construction of their projects. Contractors/Developers look at impact fees at simply another cost to beat down. The reality is that the impact fees are a response to lack of sales or gas tax to support Bozeman's infrastructure. It is unfortunate that the City's consultants are too narrowly focused on costs as opposed to revenue streams and insist on comparing Bozeman's impact fees to other cities which have additional taxing structures in place to support City growth initiatives. We are a young family of four. We make 23,000 a year working for a bozeman based company. When I applied for a home loan I qualified for 110,000. There is not a single house on the market for that little. Our rent is 40% of our income. We would love to buy a house so that we don't have to keep paying someone else's mortgage. We would love to see something come about in bozeman that help young families like ourselves. Young people and lower income families are priced out of the housing market in Bozeman. Building high dollar townhouses and boutique hotels in the North East part of town are contributing to the affordability of housing for most people who have jobs and not trust funds. City policies that encourage quality lower priced housing instead of expensive second and third homes for the wealthy are lacking and need to be addressed. The whining about impact fees is a smoke screen in my opinion. Builders and developers don't make as much money from less expensive projects so they aren't interested. Incentives to build truly afford housing that are reasonable and accessible to builders seems to be the only sensible way to address the problem. Until that is acted upon we will continue to have the extreme inequity that currently exists. It is nearly impossible to find reasonable and safe housing within the Bozeman area, including Belgrade. Even with combined incomes, and it would be cheaper to buy a home than rent in the area, the houses are too overpriced for us to even consider. It's even hard for us to find a rental for our family and our dogs. Since Bozeman is comprised of many college-age students, recently graduated professionals seeking degrees in their markets (if available) and a senior population that are retired, the cost of Bozeman is borderline outrageous as far as cost of living goes. For having no industry, we sure do have high-priced everything. The overall saturation of the market is due in large part to the college student population. So why are we increasing rent and home prices for the people who are accepting loans for college and using the remainder of those finances to pay their rents? Looking at it in that perspective, our future is not only paying outrageous interest on college loans, but also on rent essentially. This is a backwards market. We should be helping students and recently graduated reduce their debt to help stabilize the economy. - we need to talk about home size. We talk about income and cost, but not about what size house is adequate. We lived as a family of 4 in 1100 SF and it worked fine. Dont reinvent the wheel. The last plan we had would work if land was being annexed - BUT IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY SEES THE BENEFIT OF REDUCED OPEN SPACE SIZE. The developer kept the profits of selling the parcels created from reduced open space/parks dedicated. With no affordable options left in Bozeman Belgrade is much more affordable on a budget however that has even become a problem. Yes more houses go up and more subdivisions are planned but prices are higher and higher where your younger generations can not afford to live in Bozeman We need to ensure the dollars put towards affordable house have a provision to keep the house affordable for a period of time - at least 10 years. Past efforts have focused on increasing the supply of housing. I think a greater effect would result from decreasing the demand for housing. The fewer dollars there are chasing after housing, the lower the cost of housing. Specifically we need to get rid of speculators, people buying homes for investment purposes, and anyone else buying a home they do not plan to occupy on a full time permanent basis. Regarding regulations and impact fees, they are not responsible for the bulk of the increase in housing costs that we have seen since Bozeman was discovered. There is a need for regulations that stop urban sprawl because urban sprawl also increases the cost of living through higher taxes and higher cost of city services. The county needs to take this bull by the horns and help stop urban sprawl. The larger problem is that Montana, and Bozeman in particular, are no longer secrets of the West, if you will. Montana is becoming a desirable place to live and work and is thusly growing at a tremendous pace. Even during the 2008 crash, Bozeman's economy was generally better off than many places in the US that traditionally avoid negative effects of recessions. One thing we as Montanans need to learn to do is adapt to the changing environment caused by massive growth and the huge influx of people relocating to the Gallatin Valley. If we are going to combat this shortage of housing, we need to work with local businesses to encourage sustained growth at healthy levels. Traditionally when local government officials attempt to combat high housing costs, the results are lackluster at best, and oftentimes have unintended negative effects. I would encourage our elected officials to be cautious when considering new legislation as it will likely add to the problem, or create other problems on its own. I would like to see more benefits for established Montana residents to purchase property/homes to help quell the influx of second homes we have in the region. I have heard countless stories of native Montanans being forced to leave Bozeman for ther areas in MT due to the sky-high cost of living. Hiking the minimum wage will not help, and neither will mandating companies to build housing they don't make money on. How about discounting or waiving entirely, vehicle registration fees for first time home buyers in the GV for a period of 3-5 years? Maybe lowering the property taxes permanently would help. Try and eliminate waste if possible. Let's be honest, we don't need to have brick crosswalks downtown and we certainly didn't need to rebuild Main Street twice in less than 10 years. Let's provide incentive for companies to build low-income and affordable housing. Like it or not, the government isn't in the business of building housing, private businesses are. And private businesses go where the money is. Due to many factors, including the favoritism Bozeman in general has shown to newcomers (particularly those with large incomes) we have caused ourselves this very issue. Bozeman will continue to be a desirable place to live in the future, but we cannot continue to ignore the people that have been valued members of our communities for years. They should come first and I don't feel that has been the case in a long time. We paid more for our house in August 2013 than it appraised for. It still is not worth what we paid so is all this building a false start. We could nit find a house in our price range and had to spend more. Why is everything so expensive here. Groceries and gas included. As a member of GHHAC this is an issue we visit regularly, in fact someone brought up the fact that this same study was done by the same group and nothing seems to happened. Hopefully some action will come this time. I work with the homeless community in Bozeman, primarily at the Warming Center. There have been multiple individuals there who have achieved steady work in an attempt to find housing only to realize that everything available to them would consume the majority of their paycheck. Bozeman could be saving itself costs in homeless resources if it instituted better subsidized housing for folks that want it but can't afford it. On a personal note, I'd love to live in Bozeman someday. However, unless unforeseen circumstances drastically increase my wages this will be an unwise decision for me. I'll need to move away from my extended family to find a place to live that I can afford, and I believe that the City of Bozeman needs to seriously consider the loss it is taking when recent college graduates are forced out of a town that they wish they could afford to live in. Those are the young people that add daily innovation to Bozeman... please support them. Developers and builders should not be forced to provide affordable housing as a condition of any project approval. Doing so drives up the cost of market units and limits the amount of new supply that is brought on to the market thus driving up the cost of all homes. Additionally, financing incentives that give people the ability to get into homes for less than 20% down force them into financially inadvisable positions. To help alleviate the problem of the high cost of housing, take down the barriers that hinder construction so that supply can rise to meet demand. Similarly, stop treating developers and builders as part of the problem, and start treating them as the small business people that most of them are. There is an obvious need but the last thing we need in Bozeman is slum districts.. Low income mortgage housing still requires people to be responsible but allows younger professionals the ability on invest in properties sooner. My family (now exhusband and 2kids) lived in Bozeman from 1992-1999. We first lived in some apts on Tamarak and then Gallatin Manor and finally married student housing before our divorce and each moved out of state. Had it not been for the rent control at both places we lived, we would have been on the streets. The rate of pay doesn't even come close to allowing people to survive on two incomes let alone one. College towns are famous for being unaffordable for most except the elite. Bozeman does not offer high paying jobs. Making a 6 figure income is what's needed to live comfortably there. I love Bozeman and would move back in a heartbeat-if I could support myself without depending on others. The housing market in Bozeman is out of control. As a single adult working in the valley, I cannot afford to purchase a home & the rental market is so astronomical that I must have multiple roommates! The price of home ownership (& rentals for that matter) do not correlate to the average salary of those in the valley. I had hoped to settle down in Bozeman but in order for me to get ahead, I am looking at leaving the valley and finding a more affordable location to call home. Requiring builders to produce more affordable housing would be helpful. Another possibility would be to allow modular homes on regular lots. This could give builders some competition in affordable housing & benefit potential home buyers. Housing is no longer affordable in Bozeman. I work at MSU and receive a decent salary, but I am not able to buy a home, even with my husband's salary. At the same time, the rental market has become ridiculous. We left a small, older basement apartment and the rent was increased to $750. When you consider the low salaries in Montana, this pricing is crazy. For this to fall under "affordable housing" a person would need to make at least $27,000/yr or $13/hr. I know plenty of career employees at MSU that make around this amount. A current IT help desk position at the City of Bozeman starts at $16.85/hr. I wish this person luck in finding an affordable house to buy in town. I believe we need regulatory or other measures to create more affordable housing so that the people who work here can still live in Bozeman. I refuse to buy a townhouse. I want a single family home, 2 car garage and a decent yard for 215k and there is NOTHING being built in this price range. I will be renting for life until I find what I want. I refuse t buy something that I won't live on til I retire. The multi family housing and shared walls situation makes me cringe. For many people in my life I have seen that if you can't afford a house in Bozeman or Belgrade then your only option was to go to a trailer park. There needs to be a better middle ground. Those few developers out there making money with this rampant development are killing the golden goose. Other than greed, what is driving this development? The only new jobs seem to be in construction. This can't last forever, and who in God's name (other than the developers) want Bozeman to be like Boulder. Please increase Impact Fees to pay for the much needed infrastructure improvements needed and to quell the greed. Rentals are ridiculously out of sync with wages. There is plenty of housing for retiring west coasters. There is almost nothing for people who work here. If you add a pet into the mix you may as well give up. We are struggling monthly to make our payment for a small home. It ridiculous and BozemN should come down. I have to admit that the cost of housing in Bozeman is ridiculously high compared to the available jobs and average pay. I do appreciate that there are some apartment complexes geared towards people with a limited income, but for the most part, people don't have many options. Not only is finding an affordable place to live difficult as a renter, I cannot imagine attempting to purchase a house in this market. I am a young female who will probably rent for many years, even when I have a family. While I know buying a home is a very smart investment, it seems like an impossible goal in the short-term future. At least in Bozeman, Montana. This is a very nice place to live, but either housing costs need to decrease or minimum wage and average salaries need to increase. This town is difficult on young, hardworking Americans, especially those who want to start or have recently started a family. My husband is a teacher, I have 2 college degrees and with in the medical field. Over half of our income goes to our rent. We live in a condo. At this rate we will never be able to purchase a home in Bozeman. We have lived here for over 15 years. This is a HUGE problem, wealthy out of staters are driving housing prices sky high. The city of Bozeman needs to do something to help. Impact fees make living within city limits a lot harder As an MSU employee, I'm continually frustrated by the University's refusal to address wage issues that drive their classified staff to live out of town or, in my case, on campus because I'm priced out of most rentals, let alone home ownership. I think the city should consider a minimum wage action to force certain employers to keep up with the cost- of-living. Two-thirds of University System classified employees make less than $15/hour. Moreover, I'm not particularly sympathetic to housing developers arguing that they can't afford to build lower cost housing. They may not make as much but if they're profiting at the expense of their community then I think it's fair to ask them to take a hit. It's outrageous! The lack of rentals, the high price of rentals! I'm alone, retired early on fixed income because of cancer living in best I could find but not what I want. I can't afford anything that meets my physical needs. But I really ache for the hundreds of families, single parents, other seniors who struggle in this area. When it gets down to it, greed is a major factor here. Legislation of some kind is needed because those with the power to provide it simply won't! Please continue your efforts to improve this for the people of Bozeman! Housing is not affordable for anyone making less than $20/hr. Two parent families need to have both parents working over 40 hours a week just to get by. I'm curious how rental rates - and by extension, housing prices - would be effected is MSU increased on campus housing and required first and second year students to live there. It is not the role of city government to create affordable housing. The housing market will establish fair market value for homes in Bozeman based on supply and demand, just like any other community. B I am a licensed property manager and a real estate assistant. I recently just purchased one of the HRDC condos on Cottonwood because it was cheaper than my rent. Even though I'm in this industry and know my landlord well (Property Management company) I got a notice this summer that my rent was going from $650 to $750. It's crazy to me that a landlord can raise rent that much and its not realistic. I was barely paying the rent and electric bill that came with the apartment. I only heard about the HRDC condos because of looking at MLS then went to their website and learned about the program. There is a lot that the HRDC offers that majority of people don't know about. To be honest I thought HRDC was only for very poor people but its really not. I think expanding the programs that HRDC has to offer, such as down payment assistance or building affordable condos like West Edge is a more of a short term possibility. I have found that other property management companies aren't honest with potential renters about their application process. For example- they will take application fees from 10-20 applicants then just pick which applicant is better even if they don't run a credit check they keep all the money. Application fees can be $30-$40 and they never explain that that person might be one of twenty applications. I would be happy to help educate renters or be on a panel to figure out affordability housing. I am very passionate about helping people find a home. I had looked to Bozeman as a possibility to buy a nice home at an affordable price. Moving from Southern California, the homes here were reasonably priced ($275 for a 3br home) versus that same home being $500k+ where I live. Now that home prices in Bozeman are continuing to climb, there isn't as big of a difference and it may impact my decision to move there rather than visit multiple times per year. Instate incentives for first time homebuyers and people that haven't owned for 3 years, reduced impact fees for new homes under 225000 for cost to built As a young professional supporting a spouse through a bachelor's program at MSU, our rental housing options are extremely limited-especially since we have pets. The impact of college students and recent graduates, coupled with growth in high-wage industries and the influx of well-paid professionals, results in a highly competitive rental market dynamic. The influence of the university student population also creates many undesirable areas in town (since we are not 20 year old party animals living on our own for the first time and we don't necessarily want to be surrounded by them). Landlords definitely have the upper hand in this market and not always ethical. There is little incentive for them to maintain their properties since the demand is so extreme, and this means renters have no leverage in requesting basic livability maintenance. Since our household will not have two incomes for around three more years, purchasing a home seems completely out of reach in at least the next five years, especially if we want to continue living in the downtown core area and not in the subdivisions west of town. It is highly unfortunate to see prime farmland lost forever to subdivisions and sprawl while housing options closer in are incredibly expensive and only an option for the area's wealthy residents. I feel that there is a significant need for municipality involvement and regulations related to monitoring the supply of rental housing; planning for smart growth that preserves the quality of life, affordable housing within the city, and working farmland in the area; and oversight of the practices of property managers. Thank you for conducting this study and continuing to do what you can to address this pressing need! The last time the city attempted to enact an affordable housing ordinance, it was scared off its mark by the real estate and land development interests in this community. The ordinance was fatally flawed before the vote for its final adoption. The city could vastly improve its chances of supplying affordable properties for purchase by enacting an inclusionary zoning ordinance. Hate to say it, but simple as that! Rental rate inflation should match wage inflation, and landlord should not be allowed to raise rental rates past the inflation rate. Rental units are depreciating in Bozeman, yet the rental rates for those depreciating units are sky- rocketing. For example, I used to rent a 2 bed, 2 bath on Michael's Grove for $800/mo, now 4 years later, those same units are renting for $1000-1100/mo, yet have done nothing but depreciate in quality. That rental price inflation does not come close to the wage inflation in Bozeman. It would be great to see a rental inflation cap. I'm worried that my current rental, for which I pay half of a $975/mo rent, will rise to over $1000/mo next year, but my wages will certainly not increase that much. he cost of housing begins with the cost of land and with the number and types of amenities required by a municipality such as the width of streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, etc. adds additional cost. Also the cost of obtaining approval through a jurisdiction adds additional costs and Bozeman has one of the longest routes from conception to groundbreaking in the nation resulting in exceptional professional design and legal cost to a developer. These costs are all passed on to the home buyer. It should also be noted that there is very little support provided by the building community to find other means and methods of construction to provide cost savings, such as frost protected shallow foundations, while incorporating changes in building codes and regulations. Instead the building community continues to things the same as before and passes additional cost to the buyer and as long as growth continues to outstrip the supply there is no outside pressure to induce change. There is only so much that can be done by the city to help the situation. Mandating that builders offer product that looses money isn't the solution. The best the city can do is to try and incentivize construction of affordable homes by offering discounts or deferments of permit fees and impact fees for homes that meet affordable criteria. Perhaps all of the fees that are currently paid by the contractor could be added to the property tax bill amortized over 15 years. It is not a perfect solution but it does acknowledge that the city has only a carrot and no stick to encourage affordable housing. Forcing unprofitable business practices upon contractors/developers will never work. The City makes it too difficult, too inefficient and too expensive for owners/developers/builders to deliver housing product. I am part owner of a commercial and residential development company headquartered in Bozeman. We develop, construct, own and operate projects in various markets around the country - we have yet to invest in a project in Bozeman for two reasons - 1. The City makes it too difficult to obtain required land entitlement and building approvals, creating a prolonged development/construction period and significantly elevating risk. 2. The combination of the City's application, review, permit and especially impact fees are the highest we have ever encountered in any market that we have considered investing in. That includes markets like Charlotte, Knoxville, Lincoln, Tulsa, Cheyenne, etc. Whether renting or owning, all of the costs associated with the two characteristics above are passed on to the consumer/buyer resulting in higher housing costs. Fix these issues and Bozeman housing will become 10% more affordable. A fix will also reduce sprawl into bordering county property. My wife and I have been trying to move to Bozeman for years. I was offered a job at a well known company in town with a salary of 54k/year. That salary, in conjunction with the cost of housing in Bozeman, made it difficult for us to move and I turned the job down. We currently live in MN and own a home and financially, would take a large hit moving to Bozeman with the current housing/job market in Bozeman. Skirting the obvious- manufactured housing. West Babcock and the mixed housing at River Rock are well kept neighborhoods. I think it is a shame that most city employees cannot afford to live in the city they work for. Why does the commission continue to approve high end condos that sell for $400-650,000? You know the workforce is not helped by it. We got lucky with a cheap rental, but so many 3 bedrooms are renting for well over $1000/month. The city needs to pay their laborers more in order to afford the ridiculous home prices. It will never be done by imposing quotas on developers, some kind of exemption from impact fees would do little and is not an equitable solution Until we have true living wage the problem will continue If the city is going to get involved with affordable housing they should also do something iin the way of getting the minimum wage increased so that folks can afford housing. Affordable housing is one of the great unmet needs in Bozeman. Developers seem focused only on high end, more profitable housing so it appears that regulation or a different approach is needed. What are other cities in our situation doing? Might there be something that could be done with Habitat for Humanity? I only wish I had a quick solution to offer. Have you looked at Eco-villages? River Falls, WI has one that was developed by Habitat for Humanity. They are energy efficient and affordable and they create a sense of community. The city of Bozeman and more so Gallatin County need to initiate zoning that will allow new mobile home parks to be built where manufactured homes can be placed. With today's building costs, it is physically impossible to build build a stick built, 3 bedroom home for $80,000. There has not been a new subdivision approved for manufactured homes in over a decade. We have to get over the "Not In My Back Yard" attitude towards manufactured homes that it may degrade a neighbors home value. There is so much pent up demand for people to own their own home in the $100,000 price range within 10 miles of Bozeman. This would move many families from renting to home ownership freeing up rental space. We also need a bank underwriting program to finance manufactured homes. I understand the need for affordable housing; however, the town seems to be flooded with apartment complexes. My thought is that you could help more by building houses that are affordable vs rental apartments. We live in the West Winds Subdivision. We have the Bozeman Lodge, an Assisted Living complex, two very large apartment buildings and the news last week that HRDC plans to build on 27th and Tsache is upsetting. Our neighborhood has Habitat For Humanity homes and the families in those homes are wonderful neighbors. I would rather see more homes than apartment rentals that will destroy our home value. I also feel that there are many other parts of town that should be taking some of the housing burden as it is becoming increasingly congested on the NW side of town. There is a beauty of living in Bozeman and it is not a place every family can afford to live. Neither is Beverly Hills. I feel that there are plenty of affordable alternatives on the outskirts of town. There is no reason for the city government to be involved in regulating housing prices. Focus on doing the things a city should do, like maintaining roads and infrastructure. Not sure what needs to be done, but something needs to get figured out. I'm a graduate student renting - I would love to at least rent my own place, but because of rental costs and lack of options I'm currently renting a room in house with 4 other students. Not entirely bad, but I was hoping that by my age I would have place to call my own. There are certainly other students worse off - I TA and some students had to commute all the way from Livingston because they couldn't find any place to rent due to availability and cost. It also stinks for grad students too - I know they're building those student housing apartments across from the stadium but I would not want to live there as a grad student. I imagine it would be party central and game day would be a nightmare. I should also add that as a TA I only get paid $600 a month, and due to university policy I can't work to get paid for any other work at the university. My rent is about 3 quarters of that. I pretty much live on ramen. Not fun. Not healthy. I am concerned that any and all affordable housing will be on the north and west sides of town, making these areas less desirable....all the while making the Southside of town home to the wealthy only (which is already happening). Also -do all these stats of affordable homes include condos? Condos are homes too....to many families. As a single self employed individual, I make enough money to purchase a house if I had the ability to rent part of it out and use part of it as office, however I cannot get a loan because my tax returns show a low income. This is especially tricky for self-employed as our tax rates are about 40% for middle class incomes. So naturally we put money into tax deductible avenues. Figure out a way to HELP SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WITH LOANS and you got yourself another home buyer(s)! Prices are out of control. I am actually going to move soon because I can no longer afford to live here. I think that our town would be better served by focusing on bringing more high paying jobs to the area that by trying to find a way to get builders to sell homes at a loss, or build cheaper, low quality homes to meet an arbitrary standard. Need more student housing (dorms) on MSU. Students are taking most of the affordable rentals in town, which is also driving up prices. The University has not kept up with the student growth by providing more housing on campus The prices of rentals are outrageous and most working people cannot afford. Sure the housing near campus is expensive too, but students often share places, for those that want to make Bozeman their home, if you are not independently wealthy or coming to retire here you may be SOL! I would love to buy a home in Bozeman if I could find one under 200K. I have been looking for a 3 bedroom condo. Hello, I was previously a student and when I lived off campus I found that rent was very affordable in Bozeman. However, after graduating, I'm finding out that rent has skyrocketed a couple hundred dollars a month. Please help those of us who are still wanting to live in this area but not pay big city prices for rent. What affordable housing. It is nearly impossible to find housing in this market that is not outrageously priced. Therefore, I am forced to live in a house with several other adults because its impossible to live alone in this town. Affordable housing is difficult to find especially in regards to individuals who have less than perfect credit, felonies, pets, students, and other less ideal circumstances. It is even more difficult to find livable and safe housing at affordable price ranges, including for those who are making a stable income. There should also be more opportunities for group home options in Bozeman and more shelter options other than HAVEN and the Warming Center. a single person with a "living wage," especially single parents, CAN NOT find affordable rentals in Bozeman that meet any quality standards. Property managers have become greedy and have greatly increased rents. Because the college students have resources through parents or student loans (putting them into deep debt) students can seem to pay for higher cost rent. they roommate up with several people to make rent affordable, but a family is stuck. Even Section 8 vouchers are difficult to fill because the rental prices are too high, and because there is a lag time with the state for the property managers to get their money, they rent to someone with resources now. it is ridiculous trying to find housing in Bozeman or the surrounding areas. Sure, I can find a place to live in Three Forks, but the gas costs for a commute to work in Bozeman prices the outlying areas beyond affordability as well. Working in human services, my clients run into a variety of barriers to obtaining stable housing. In Bozeman specific, the lack of affordable/low-income housing results in a higher number of individuals living in homelessness. Due to stringent credit regulations, more and more clients are being turned away from apartments even when they have more than twice the rental price and a history of good rental references. There needs to be more weight given to various areas, perhaps through a point system, and consideration given to individuals who are actively working on imporving their lives. How can we support our community with economic development if we are indirectly forcing people into homelessness, depression, and poverty? Bozeman prides itself on its culture and innovative mindset, yet fails to support those who are trying to contribute to growth and prosperity. As a property manager, I have watched rents on average increase upwards of 40% here in Bozeman in 2 years. The rental demand is driving prices upward at a rate which is not sustainable and not healthy for our local economy. We have watched neighboring Belgrade and Four Corners also rapidly rise due to many people leaving Bozeman city limits as it's not economical to live in. We need more "ant farms". I know a lot of folks don't like the look of them. But it's what we need. We need enough apartments to bring the rents back into the proper margins to meet incomes and have healthy cost of living. Businesses vetting Bozeman will be turned off by the lack of affordable housing for their employees. It is a crisis and not good for economy. What we are seeing is many units increasing in density ie: 4 people living in a 2 bed, 5 in a 3 bedroom and so on. Young adults are needing to get creative with housing just to be able to pay for rent. I'd like to see some incentives for building 2 bed 1 bath and 3 bed 2 bath apartments which need not be "high end", just basic apartments. Perhaps Ease some impact fees so we can get rents into ratios that average income earners can afford.