The annual Point in Time Count will take place in Montana next Thursday as part of a national effort to track the number of people experiencing homelessness. The count is crucial for determining federal funding for homelessness assistance in communities. In 2023 it reported 2,178 individuals experiencing homelessness in Montana a 37% increase from 2022. Yellowstone County accounted for nearly a quarter of these individuals.
The rise in mortgage rates beginning in 2022 has placed significant financial pressure on households reshaping the housing landscape. Homeowners who have fully paid for homes are in a stronger financial position to weather periods of economic uncertainty and elevated rates. 29.7% of Montana homes are paid off which is above the national average.
Former President of the Montana Senate Jason Ellsworth gave an associate a $170,000 contract in 2024 without going through a formal bidding process. The Legislative Audit Division at the Capitol is working through a complaint that was filed with their office through the fraud waste and abuse hotline. New Senate President Matt Regier has also opened an investigation into the Hamilton Senator’s conduct.
The Bureau of Land Management Montana-Dakotas State Office’s latest competitive oil and gas lease sale offered 13 parcels covering 1,324 acres in Montana and North Dakota. In total, 255 bids were received with 13 parcels covering 1,324 acres leased roughly 100 percent of the total acreage available. A total of $11,314,786 in high bids were received.
Montana’s new contract with private prison company CoreCivic includes no limit on how many inmates the state can transfer into private prisons out of state. The Department of Corrections is working with the Governor’s budget office and state legislators to identify a long-term solution to overcrowding issues at Montana prisons. A funding package proposed this year includes $150 million in new spending for a 500-bed expansion at the Montana State Prison near Deer Lodge.
Montana residents have options during cold weather months for assistance through the Department of Public Health and Human Services. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program pays part of winter energy bills and may be able to assist with furnace emergencies. The Weatherization Assistance Program helps to improve the heating efficiency of homes to reduce energy consumption. Eligibility for assistance is based on income and resource limits. Both homeowners and renters may apply for these programs.
391 acres near the East Gallatin River will remain undeveloped through a conservation easement established between the Rieschel family and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. The property remains open and available for agriculture having been used for decades offering prime farmland soils to produce hay and alfalfa and graze cattle.
The Kootenai National Forest has prepared a draft environmental assessment for the Libby Exploration Project submitted by Montanore Minerals Corporation a subsidiary of Hecla Mining Company. It proposes to conduct mineral exploration activities at the existing Libby Adit site about 20 miles south of Libby near the Cabinet Mountains of northwestern Montana.
Developers held an official groundbreaking event Wednesday at Whitefish Mountain Resort for new homes being built. Each will have an outdoor deck with private hot tubs heated private garages and views of the mountain. Each unit ranges from 1,700 to 2,800 square feet with prices starting at $2,500,000.
Climate Advocacy Day will be held at noon Friday in the Capitol Rotunda. The biennial event is led by a coalition of over a dozen organizations headed by Families for a Livable Climate during the legislative session where Montanans rally over concerns about climate. More than 300 people attended in 2023 and goal for 2025 is to have more than 500 participants.