Seeley Lake Affordable Housing Crisis – Challenges, Impact, and Solutions

Seeley Lake, Montana, faces a mounting affordable housing crisis, with soaring property prices making it difficult for locals to remain in their community. Long-term residents are being forced out, businesses struggle to retain workers, and schools face declining enrollment. The crisis threatens the town’s sense of unity and economic stability. Potential solutions include building affordable housing, zoning reforms, and offering incentives to developers. Addressing these challenges will require a united effort from residents, businesses, and policymakers.

1. SeeleyLakeAffordableHousingCrisis
–Challenges,Impact,andSolutions
ThesmalltownofSeeleyLakeinMontanaisstrugglingwithagraveaffordable
housingcrisis.JustaseverywhereelseintheUnitedStates,housingcostsin
SeeleyLakehaverisenexponentially.
Itmakesittoughforlocalstofindhomestheycanafford.Manypeoplewho
havespenttheirentirelivesinSeeleyLakeareunabletostaywithinthe
community,giventheincreasedrentandhomeprices.Thisisnotonlya
questionofindividualsandfamiliesbutalsothetownoverallthatneedsurgent
attention.

2. WhyisThereaSeeleyLakeAffordableHousing
Crisis?
ThefollowingarefactorscausingtheaffordablehousingcrisisinSeeleyLake:
●PopulationGrowth:MorepeoplearecomingtoSeeleyLake,
especiallysincethepandemic.Theyareattractedbythenaturalbeauty
ofthetownanditsoutdoorlifestyle.Thishasledtoahigherdemand
forhomes.
●SummerHomes:MostpeopleownhomesinSeeleyLakeasa
summerhome.Suchincreasesthedemandforhomesleavingfewto
thelocalsinthearea,henceleadingtoincreasesinprice.
●LowWages:UnliketheincreasingpricesofhousesinSeeleyLake,
wageshavealsonotgonehigh.Mostjobslocallyintourism,service
industries,andsmallbusinessespaylowwagesthatcannotbeableto
affordahouse.
●LimitedNewConstruction:SeeleyLakehaslimitedlandand
resourcesforbuildingnewhomes.Thismakesitharderforthesupply
ofhousestomeetthegrowingdemand.
HowtheSeeleyLakeAffordableHousingCrisis
AffectsResidents
TheSeeleyLakeaffordablehousingcrisisishavingahugeimpactonthepeople
wholivethere.
●Theissueiswithlocalworkers:Manyofthemcannotaffordtolive
nearSeeleyLakewherethelocalbusinesses,schools,andhealthcare
systemarelocated.Somearetravelingalongdistancetoworkand
othersleavethearea.Thisshortageoflocalworkersmakesitdifficult
forbusinessestokeepopenandservethecommunity.
●FamiliesLosingOut:Long-timeSeeleyLakeresidents,forwhom
theplaceisintheirveryblood,arefindingitdifficulttokeepupwith
theirbudget.Risingrentsandhousingcostsareforcingthemoutof
town,disruptingtheirlivesandpersonalconnectionstothecommunity.

3. ●SchoolEnrollmentIsShrinking:Asfamiliesdepart,thenumberof
childrenattendingthelocalschoolsisshrinking.Shrinkingenrollment
leadstoshrinkingschoolfunds,whichmayreducefundingfor
programsthatharmeducationforthoseleftbehind.
Thereisanincreasingriskofhomelessnessamongsomemembersofthe
communityaspeoplecannotaffordaffordablehouses.Withoutaffordable
homes,morepeoplestayintemporarysetupssuchasfriends’orrelatives’
houseswhileothersstayincarsandtents.
ImpactonCommunityandEconomy
TheaffordablehousingcrisisinSeeleyLakeisnotanindividualproblem;itisan
entiretownproblem.Businessescannotfindenoughworkerstofillneeded
positionsbecausesomeworkerscannotaffordtoliveintown.
Restaurants,retailstores,andotherserviceindustriesaregettinghitbadlyby
thiscrunch.Whenbusinessesaren’tabletobefullystaffed,hoursgetcutor
shutdowncompletely,whichhurtstheeconomyinthelocalcommunity.
ThehousingcrisisalsothreatensSeeleyLake’ssenseofcommunity.Thetown
hasbeenonewherepeopleknowtheirneighborsandtakeprideintheirtown.
Asthelocalsleaveandarereplacedbypart-timeresidentsorvacationers,that
communityfeelslikeitisslippingaway.
PotentialSolutionstotheSeeleyLakeAffordable
HousingCrisis
Whilenoteasytosolve,thereareafewpotentialsolutionsthatcouldmakea
differenceforSeeley:
●BuildingMoreAffordableHomes:Oneofthemostimportant
solutionplansistobuildmorehomesthatpeoplecanafford.Thesewill
besmallerhomes,apartments,ortownhousesandcanbepricedwithin

4. therangeforlocalworkersandfamilybudgets.Governmentsand
developerscancollaborateonthesekindsofprojects.
●Zoningchanges:Changesinzoningtoenablemorehousingoptions
likeduplexesortinyhomescouldfurtherimprovethesupplyof
affordablehousesinSeeleyLake.Throughzoningchanges,thereisan
easierwaytoconstructhousessuitabletotheneedsofthelocal
residents.
●IncentivesforAffordableHousing:Governmentsmightoffer
incentivestodevelopersforbuildingaffordablehousing.Thismight
includetaxbreaks,grants,orlow-interestloansonthoseprojectsthat
providehousesatlowercosts.
●RentControl:Sometownsandcitiesuserentcontroltolimitthe
amountbywhichlandlordscanraiserentprices.Whileit’s
controversialinmanyplaces,rentcontrolmaybeonewaytokeep
housingaffordableforSeeleyLakeresidents.
●CommunityLandTrusts:Communitylandtrustsareformedbylocal
residentsandnonprofitsinsomecommunities.Theypurchaselandand
developaffordablehomes,whichwillremainaffordableinthefuture.
ThismaybethesolutionforSeeleyLake,wherethehighcostoflandis
causingaffordablehousingtorise.
HowLocalsAreFightingtheSeeleyLake
AffordableHousingCrisis
ManypeopleinSeeleyLakeareworkinghardtosolvetheaffordablehousing
crisis.Communitygroups,localofficials,andresidentshavebandedtogetherto
pooltheirideastowardsolutions.
Theytalkaboutbuildingmoreaffordablehomesandtalkaboutwaystochange
zoninglaws.Someevenworkoncreatingrelationshipswithdevelopersinthis
areaofaffordablehousing.Inaddition,localbusinessesaregettinginvolved.
Someemployersofferhousingbenefitsorhelptheemployeesfindhomesinthe
area.Itshowshowimportantitisforthewholecommunitytocometogether
andsolvethisproblem.

5. What’sNextforSeeleyLake?
TheaffordablehousingcrisisatSeeleyLakeisaverymajorchallenge,butwith
therightsteps,itcanbeaddressed.Examplesincludeconstructingmore
affordablehomes,amendingzoninglaws,andprovidingincentivesfor
developerssohousingwillbecheaperforlocalresidents.
Intheend,solvingtheSeeleyLakeaffordablehousingcrisiswilltaketimeand
effort.Butwiththerightstrategies,thetowncanovercomethischallengeand
createamoreaffordable,sustainablefutureforitsresidents.