Housing insecurity in the Flathead Public Comment from Holly JordtAimee Brunckhorst
From: Holly Jordt <hollyjordt@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:12 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Housing insecurity in the Flathead
As someone born and raised in this community, I would like to see us work together to find solutions to our housing
crisis in the Flathead. We are not alone. Most of Montana has been impacted by soaring housing costs and wages that
cannot keep up with the cost of living. This leaves many people housing insecure. In the Flathead, I have seen focus on
local policies that are often punitive as a means to address individuals who are experiencing houselessness. We have
talked about ordinances for living in vehicles. We have talked about closing down areas, such as the current issue of the
gazebo at Depot Park. These "solutions" do not solve the problem, they just move the problem. We have pointed
fingers at who is to blame for the issue of homelessness.
At the same time, every industry shares concerns about their inability to fill vacant positions. I have heard of law
enforcement, fire, public service, the hospitals and local health clinics, mental health centers, along with our service
industry struggling to fill vacancies. Our pool of applicants considering employment in the Flathead, continue to cite
unaffordable housing as a barrier to accepting jobs that are needed to maintain our core infrastructure and services in
our community. We seem to continue to focus on the fallout of the problem of housing insecurity vs looking upstream
to create a variety of evidence -based housing solutions that work for the Flathead.
Over the past years it does not seem that we are any further along in addressing housing insecurity in our community. I
would like to think that I am part of a community that is planning for the security of our aging population, our working
professionals, our young families and our future generations. I am concerned that my future generations will not be
able to afford living in this great valley that I was born in and have raised my own family in. I am concerned about
affordable housing options as my parents look to downsize. I am concerned as I watch people continue to make choices
about what they can afford this month; will it be groceries, gas to get to a job, daycare, or will they pay their rent? For
many, this is a difficult juggling act that is faced month after month. We need to do better and we need to find solutions
unless we are content becoming a tourist town that only the wealthy can choose to live and recreate in while hoping
enough of our service industry can afford to continue to live in close proximity to provide the services needed.
I hope that we will continue to work collectively to find housing solutions. I want to continue to believe in this place I
call home and know that we have each other's backs as we work through the challenges faced in this climate of rapid
growth. Thank you for taking time to hear my concerns. If any of you are interested in some potential solutions, please
take the time to look at this short video that I created a few years back, as I worked on housing solutions as part of my
Master's Degree. I hope to be part of a solution, as we continue to wrestle with the topic of housing in the
Flathead. PUBH 570 Ethical Considerations for Housing in Flathead Countv Final Proiect - YouTube.
Thank you.
Holly Jordt, Community Member
45 E Nevada St.
Kalispell, MT 59901
(406) 261-9698