Kalispell mayor agrees with Flathead County commissioners' decision to reject state housing program

Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson said Monday that Flathead County Commissioners were correct in rejecting a multimillion-dollar state-funded housing program.  

Approved by the state Legislature in 2023, House Bill 819 set aside $50 million to address workforce housing through housing nonprofits across Montana. The bill made $4.5 million available to Flathead County and would have provided homebuyers with a loan to assist in lowering the purchase price of a deed-restricted home.  

Johnson said during Monday’s Kalispell City Council meeting that the bill should have been openly discussed by commissioners months earlier, but that they ultimately made the right decision in rejecting the program on Tuesday, Dec. 31 in a split vote.