Big Sky Times

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recently announced the expansion of the Housing Task Force. The task force incorporates a diverse group of individuals, including state agency leaders, legislators, local officials, association representatives, economists, researchers, stakeholders and advocates.

Established by Gianforte in 2022, the Housing Task Force is set to continue its operations until 2025. It is chaired by Chris Dorrington, director of the Department of Environmental Quality.

The announcement was made in a release on the state's official government website and on Twitter.

"I look forward to our Housing Task Force continuing to develop more commonsense solutions to address one of the most pressing issues facing hardworking Montanans," Gianforte said in the release.

One key initiative the governor implemented to promote pro-housing reforms in local jurisdictions was signing into law the Montana Land Use Planning Act. The act mandates cities that meet specific population thresholds to utilize the land-use plan, map, zoning regulations and subdivision regulations provided within it. It also grants other local governments the option to adopt those provisions voluntarily. Furthermore, it incorporates housing, local facilities, economic development, natural resources, environment and natural hazards into the decision-making process.

The governor has also been actively endorsing bills related to the Housing Task Force's agenda, the release said.

Delivering on the task force's recommendations, Gianforte nearly doubled the Montana Trades Education Credit (MTEC) by signing into law House Bill 245. The legislation is designed to boost the skills of hardworking Montanans and meet the needs of employers. The governor proposed and established MTEC in 2021, and it provides employers a tax credit for employee education and training.

Other bills include Senate Bill 382, which reinforces landowners' rights to construct affordable starter homes and mandates local governments to reform zoning regulations to meet future housing needs. Additionally, Senate Bill 528 permits the construction of accessory dwelling units, thereby restoring landowners' rights to build affordable starter homes.

Senate Bill 245 expands landowners' ability to build new homes in urban areas, with the aim of protecting rural areas and agricultural land from urban sprawl.

House Bill 211 streamlines the subdivision review process, reducing bureaucracy for applicants and local governments. Senate Bill 131 simplifies local government review requirements and sets a 20-day review period for land division applications. Senate Bill 170 overhauls and simplifies the review process for minor subdivisions. Senate Bill 240 exempts—under certain conditions—smaller subdivisions from review by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality while maintaining environmental safeguards.

"There's more work to do, and we're not done yet," Gianforte said in the release, acknowledging the progress made thus far in increasing the availability of affordable and attainable housing for Montanans.