City's Housing Lens
The City of Missoula uses Housing as one of three decision lenses to guide implementing the goals in the City's Strategic Plan. The City's Housing Lens recognizes that addressing Missoula's housing challenges requires a comprehensive approach - there is no single solution. By providing safe and healthy housing with diverse home types and affordability levels, we can support educational success, enable Missoulians to improve their circumstances, promote community health, and foster a thriving local economy. The City's 2025 Housing Strategy Update details how we're working toward this vision.
Missoula's housing market is currently experiencing significant challenges, including affordability concerns, a shortage of homes, and social inequities rooted in past land use policies. To stabilize the market and maintain a healthy vacancy rate of 5-8%, the city needs to add between 2,700 and 3,700 new homes immediately while keeping pace with population growth.
The City's Housing Team works with housing stakeholders in the community to increase the supply of affordable housing - i.e., housing that's specifically set aside to be below market rate so lower-income community members can afford housing without spending too much of their income on housing - and to increase housing stock of all types.
The Housing Team also works closely with City staff across several departments and divisions, including:
The Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan, adopted in December 2024, provides essential guidelines for both public and private land use. Also, be sure to check out the Our Missoula page on Engage Missoula to get involved in the City's Code Reform project.
The Development Services website provides information for developers on how to plan your project, apply for a permit, etc. If developers have questions about building incentives, please contact Housing Policy Specialist Parker Webb at 406-552-6394 or WebbP@ci.missoula.mt.us.
The Houseless Programs Team works with community partners to create a spectrum of shelter and housing options that meet Missoulians where they are on their housing journeys. On Our Way Home: Missoula Community Houselessness Strategy 2025-2028 guides the Missoula community's houselessness strategy.
The Affordable Housing Trust Fund, created in 2020, provides direct funding to developers, nonprofits and organizations to develop projects that create and preserve housing. The Trust Fund is administered by the City's Grants Team.
The City's Housing Policy Specialist participates in the work of the Mayor's Task Force on City Lands Redevelopment, as well as ongoing housing development projects in Missoula.
Please see MRA's website for information about Tax Increment Financing and the Workforce Housing Program.
The City's Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails (PROST) 2040 Master Plan, adopted in 2025, embraces the City's Housing Lens and supports integrated affordable housing, walkable and green structures, and healthy and purposeful green spaces in new and existing developments.