Elected officials, industry experts and advocates gathered on Montana State University’s campus this week to ask themselves: can housing supply in Montana ever meet its demand?
Only time will tell whether Montana’s housing crisis will ever ease, but the takeaway from the conference is that a slew of strategies are needed to address the issue, from zoning reforms to getting cash to the right places to making projects happen.
Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis gave the keynote Monday night. Davis, who before becoming mayor was the head of a housing nonprofit for years, said the land-use reforms passed in the 2023 legislative session in Montana are not enough to solve the issue. More will need to happen in 2025 to move the needle.