Kalispell council backs interim housing advisory committee to shape RFP and study

The Kalispell City Council on June 8 signaled support for an interim affordable‑housing and homelessness advisory committee to help staff shape an upcoming housing‑study request for proposals and to review and translate study recommendations into council policy.

Mayor Hunter introduced the proposal, saying the committee could advise on the RFP, weigh in on consultants’ deliverables and identify policy options for council consideration. Jared Nigren, city staff, told council members the body could be created by resolution and asked whether the council wanted a temporary task force or a permanent commission.

Councilors debated membership, scope and staff demands. Several said they wanted a one‑year, time‑boxed committee tied directly to the budgeted housing study so the group’s work would produce immediate deliverables. Councilor Waterman and others suggested recruiting experts in housing finance, social services and development while ensuring the panel represented diverse community perspectives. Councilors warned the committee should not impose significant new research burdens on staff without added resources.

The council emphasized several tasks for the panel: help define what the city will mean by “affordable housing,” advise on demographic targeting (seniors, workforce, families), recommend financing and incentive strategies, and assemble case studies or best practices for a regional approach. Staff said the RFP would be issued soon and the study is expected to take roughly six months; councilors preferred the committee’s timeline to mirror that schedule.

During public comment, Kim Morisaki, executive director of the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, described an existing inventory and a pipeline of permanently affordable homes in the Flathead Valley and offered CLT data to staff and council. The CLT said it holds multiple deed‑restricted homes and is preparing a county‑wide inventory to be updated quarterly.

Next steps: council directed the mayor to appoint an interim committee to work with staff on the housing study RFP and recommended the committee be time‑limited and charged to return recommendations when the study is complete. Any permanent committee or formal resolution to establish a standing board would require a future council action.