Regional Housing Coalition Brings Montana Legislators to Big Sky to Unveil Blueprint for Funding Affordable Housing Statewide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 20, 2026

CONTACT:

Mark Bond, Community Engagement Manager
One Valley Community Foundation
(406) 587-6262 x. 30
mark@onevalley.org
onevalley.org/regionalhousing

 Regional Housing Coalition Brings Montana Legislators to Big Sky to Unveil Blueprint for Funding Affordable Housing Statewide

"Bridging the Gap" identifies the state-level tools that could create a dedicated, ongoing funding source for affordable housing in Gallatin County — the RHC’s most consequential policy work since last fall’s WARD analysis

BIG SKY, MT. — On Wednesday, July 15, Gallatin County's Regional Housing Coalition (RHC) welcomed 9 of Gallatin County's state legislators and state legislative candidates to the Wilson Hotel Ballroom in Big Sky for an in-depth briefing on the coalition's work and the first public presentation of Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Funding Affordable Housing in Montana, a new and comprehensive policy analysis identifying the tools available to state and local government to create an ongoing funding source for affordable housing in Gallatin County.

“I would encourage everyone to leave their politics at the door. This particular issue is not a political issue. This is a human rights issue. This is a community issue. We all have friends and neighbors and sons and daughters that this applies to,” said State Sen. Chris Pope, D-33.

The event, which also saw over two dozen RHC members engaging directly with the state legislators, is one of the highest-profile examples yet of the RHC's growing influence in Montana housing policy, and comes as the Legislature's 2025–26 interim committees study issues ahead of the 2027 session — the window in which new bills take shape.

As of April 2026, the median rent in Gallatin County is $2,195 per month, and the median home price is $789,000. Bridging the Gap identifies four funding tools that would require action in Helena to unlock, together worth tens of millions of dollars a year: a local option sales tax (an estimated $85 million annually for Gallatin County), a share of the county's nearly $20 million in annual bed tax revenue, a portion of the state's rental car tax, and a share of Montana's marijuana tax revenue.

“Housing challenges don’t stop at city lines. It is part of our culture as Montanans to show up and take care of our neighbors. Without a regional approach, communities get left behind, and that regional approach is exactly what the RHC has made possible,” said Brian Guyer, RHC member and Community Housing Manager for the City of Bozeman.

The report builds on the credibility the RHC earned through last fall's WARD Policy Analysis, presented to the Bozeman City Commission ahead of the November 2025 municipal election. Nathan Stein, Executive Director of Headwaters Community Housing Trust and lead author of the report, presented an in-depth overview, followed by small-group breakout discussions with legislators on the tools most relevant to their districts. Those discussions also touched on complementary, non-funding policy tools — including a right of first refusal for tenants and just cause eviction protections — and on how to frame the economic case for investing in affordable housing, including the cost of inaction, in terms that resonate across party lines.

“The work of the RHC is rooted in a simple and powerful premise: that our communities are strongest when they work together,” said Mark Bond, Community Engagement Manager at One Valley Community Foundation and RHC Program Lead. “Looking back on the past four years, the Regional Housing Coalition has been the key to ensuring Gallatin County is aligned in addressing our most pressing housing needs. The impact is real, and we’re just getting started.” 

The Q3 2026 RHC meeting was sponsored by Lone Mountain Land Company.

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About the Regional Housing Coalition

The Regional Housing Coalition (RHC), convened by One Valley Community Foundation, brings together nearly 30 organizations across government, development, finance, real estate, and the nonprofit sector to address Gallatin County's most pressing housing challenges. Since its 2023 launch, the RHC has been designated Gallatin County's federally recognized Continuum of Care, produced the region's first coordinated homelessness strategy, and launched the RHC Housing Dashboard, the county's only public, regional source of affordable housing data. Learn more at onevalley.org/regionalhousing.

About One Valley Community Foundation

 One Valley Community Foundation connects people who care to the causes that matter to ensure all can thrive in Gallatin County. As the county’s community foundation, One Valley supports nonprofits through training, resources, and peer learning opportunities, and helps donors give back through donor advised funds and other accessible charitable tools. The community foundation leads initiatives like Give Big Gallatin Valley and convenes partners to address complex challenges, including collaborative work around housing. Through stewardship, connection, and local insight, One Valley champions a strong and vibrant community today and for generations to come.