BUTTE - As the housing crisis continues to be felt in Butte, city officials and housing authority officials would like to see some of the empty buildings in Uptown Butte be converted into affordable housing because for some, this is more than just a crisis.
“The state’s calling it a ‘housing catastrophe,’ they’re not calling it a ‘crisis’ anymore,” said National Affordable Housing Network Director Barbara Miller.
“People have lost housing, are living in trailers and on the streets. People are just displaced,” said Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher.
The National Affordable Housing Network in Butte is seeking a $600,000 federal grant on a project that would put 15 rental units on the vacant third floor of the Phoenix Building on West Park Street.
City officials support the idea noting that homelessness and people living out of vehicles and campers is a growing problem in Butte.
“People have lost housing, are living in trailers and on the streets. People are just displaced,” said Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher.
Housing values have sharply increased, and many homes have been sold causing a housing shortage in Butte, so demand for housing is high.
“A lot of families come in a say, ‘is there any place for us? Because we got booted from our rental. We paid on time, but that wasn’t the problem, it was that our house was sold,’” said Miller.
And even if this project does get the grant money it needs to move forward, it’s still a small solution to a much larger housing problem.
“Butte could use literally hundreds of these spaces and the question is just how fast they can effectively be put in. This one’s been planed for years and years, so we’re really ready if we get the nod,” said Miller.
The entire project could cost about $1.7 million to complete.
