Havre approves new HRDC housing proposal

Havre City Council met Monday and approved supporting a new affordable housing development sponsored by the District 4 Human Resources Development Council as well as approving blocking the 100 Block of Second Avenue May 25 for the 7th Annual Wounded Warrior Ride.

Mayor Tim Solomon said this morning that the council approved signing a letter of support for the tax credits to fund the HRDC housing project.

The proposal is to erect the housing development, called Havre Hills, in the same general area as HRDC’s Buffalo Court and Antelope Court. Havre Hills would be built east of the District 4 HRDC Offices located at 2229 Fifth Ave.

Solomon said that during Monday’s meeting, some concerns were raised but after discussion the council voted to sign the letter of support. One issue brought up was that the new housing development could affect Section 8 housing, he said.

The HRDC’s housing project, which is aimed to serve low-income families, should not impact Havre’s Section 8 housing, Solomon said.

District 4 HRDC, which covers the Liberty, Blaine and Hill counties, has teamed up with AC Solutions LLC of Helena to build a new 25-unit family housing project in Havre for low-income families.

“The City of Havre has a general lack of affordable housing, as is supported by data from the Hill County Growth Policy and an independent market study,” the letter of support said. “The City Council encourages continued development of housing for individuals of all income levels, and particularly seeks to work with local nonprofits to help construct new affordable housing stock in the community. The 25-unit development will fully align with Havre’s goals and objectives, as there is a need for additional housing for families at these income levels.”

The letter of intent, which was sent to the city, said HRDC already provides 72 affordable housing units in Havre, which were constructed using tax credits, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and rural development financing. It added that, according to a study, Havre still needs an additional 131 units of affordable housing and this new development, the Havre Hills development, would help address this issue.

Depending on the availability and the project’s ability to attract equity, it said, HRDC is hoping to include a new early Head Start center in the new development.

“HRDC 4 has successfully partnered on other housing projects in Havre and the City welcomes this opportunity to support their efforts and work with them on such an exciting proposal,” the letter of support said. “On behalf of the City, we fully support this development, as it will be both a vital community asset and a key piece to solving Havre’s housing puzzle.”