Housing Task Force

Governor Gianforte’s Housing Task Force holds first meeting

News from the office of Governor Gianforte

HELENA — On July 20 Governor Greg Gianforte joined members of the Governor’s Housing Task Force for its first meeting.

“Nationwide, we have seen prices soar in recent years as housing supply has sputtered, along with a confluence of other factors. Montana is not immune to those trends,” Gov. Gianforte said in opening remarks to the task force at the State Capitol. “When it comes down to it, the health and wellbeing of our families, our communities, our businesses, and our economy rely on access to affordable, attainable housing. And right now, finding affordable, attainable housing is a massive challenge to Montanans.”

The governor charged the task force, which he created through an executive order, with providing recommendations the legislature could consider and the governor could sign into law to make housing more affordable and attainable. Gov. Gianforte also charged the task force with developing recommendations state agencies can implement administratively as well as recommendations and best practices local jurisdictions can enact.

Highlighting macroeconomic trends driving up the cost of housing, Gov. Gianforte noted Montana’s population grew by nearly 10 percent between 2010 and 2020, while housing units have grown by less than 7 percent. Over that same period, the rental vacancy rate in Montana dropped from nearly 6 percent to slightly more than 4 percent. In some areas in the state, the rental vacancy rate hovers at or below 1 percent.

Driven by increased consumer demand, rising inflation, and national supply chain breakdowns, the cost of building a new home has soared, with private residential construction costs skyrocketing 18.4 percent nationally between March 2021 and March 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Gov. Gianforte also noted some of the blame for the state’s shortage of affordable, attainable housing rests with government at all levels, saying “Strict zoning and other housing supply regulations are a wet blanket on responsible development and growth. They increase costs and limit supply. In fact, the National Association of Home Builders estimates that the average cost of housing regulation in the price of a new home soared 44 percent in the last decade.”

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) also reported that government-imposed regulations account for 23.8 percent of the final price of a new single-family home built for sale.

State agency leaders, a bipartisan group of legislators, local officials, association representatives, economists, researchers, stakeholders, and advocates make up the task force.

Gov. Gianforte appointed Chris Dorrington, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, to chair the task force. At today’s meeting, task force members named Todd O’Hair, president and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, to be the task force’s vice chair. “Every day, Montanans work hard to realize the American dream: to earn a decent living, to raise a family, to contribute to their communities, to retire comfortably, and to own a home,” Gov. Gianforte concluded. “Government should not stand in the way of Montanans striving to achieve those core elements of the American dream. Unfortunately, there are ill-advised federal, state, and local policies that create unnecessary roadblocks to home ownership. Let’s remove them. Let’s help more folks achieve the American dream.” During the meeting, the task force also created four subcommittees charged with specific focuses and named co-leads for each subcommittee. More details about the task force – including meeting dates, agendas, and materials – and a portal for public comment and engagement may be found on the Department of Environmental Quality’s website.

COURTESY PHOTO Gov. Gianforte emphasizes need to increase access to affordable, attainable housing

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4-H skills on display at annual Lake County Fair

By Charly Reynolds for the Valley Journal

RONAN — The Lake County Fair kicked off July 24-31 with animals of every size and smiles in every direction.

Thirteen-year-old Tobias Cantlon, standing with his chicken Sunny, explained how the birds are judged based on breed. The judges look at the number of feathers the chicken has, if their claws are broken or not, and the condition of its health. Based on its breed, each characteristic of the judged animal must be perfect.

“This takes a lot of learning and taking care of your responsibilities,” Cantlon said.

Cantlon has been in 4H for five years. Out of everything he does, Cantlon said the animal portions are his favorite, along with archery and shot gun shooting.

During the morning preparations and shows, kids and parents scattered along the stalls of their animals, preparing them to be shown to the judges and the audience in the bleachers. Each pen and stall is organized and clean, demonstrating the kids’ ability to make a safe environment not only for the animals, but for the visitors walking through. Because of the heat of the day, most of the pigs inside the barns were clad in wet towels to keep them cool, and the cows had large water bins to stick their head in. Other small animals had water dishes and shade to stay cool.

Judge Natalie Arnott explained the swine are judged based off market, breed, and showmanship. The judges look for the most “complete package,” meaning not only the build of it like straight legs and composition, but if it has the right kind of muscle. Bigger is not always better as when they get fat the product becomes fatty instead of muscle, which is not what the consumer is paying for. Owners must also make sure their pig is exercising and healthy.

During showmanship, the judges also paid attention to the owner with each pig. Owners must look clean with tidy clothing, hair, and in the way they walk their animal around.

An old trick Arnott shared about judging is that if a judge taps an animal, it most likely means it needs to be brushed off or cleaned. This shows the judges if the participant is looking out and noticing the small things that matter.

In between showing, each child is required to volunteer in concessions that are considered community service. Older children trade places every four to five hours while also tending to their animals, cleaning stalls, and preparing themselves to compete.

“I enjoy every couple of hours getting a new set of kids and getting to know almost 200 kids over a span of a week” one of the lead chairmen in charge of concessions says.

With the profits kids have made this year, they will be able to buy new animals to come back next year and show their hard work, dedication and showmanship to the 2023 Lake County Fair.