Kalispell mayor says he opposed housing funding despite letter supporting it

Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson said Monday that he opposed a state program that would have funneled millions into Flathead County for workforce housing despite penning a letter in support of it.

Johnson implored Flathead County commissioners to accept the funding allocated for the valley via House Bill 819 in a November letter. In it, he called the lack of affordable housing a major issue facing the county. 

“Our mutual economies can strengthen with accessible housing options, and with the escalating cost of housing, our economy and our residents are suffering,” Johnson argued in the letter, which he indicated he wrote on behalf of the Kalispell City Council and community.