Whitefish Housing Authority has been awarded a $350,000 CDBG Housing Grant for a first-time homebuyer program.  AppCom completed a Housing Needs Assessment in 2008 that included recommendations for the program.  The Needs Assessment provided much of the rationale for the successful grant application. 

The grant will allow for a minimum of ten persons purchase a home in Whitefish through the Homebuyer Initiated Purchase Program of the Whitefish Area Land Trust.  The strategy is to provide sufficient subsidy upfront to the initial buyer in such a way as to preserve the affordability of the home forever.  A second part of the strategy is to preserve existing homes in our core neighborhoods as affordable homes for the future.  The third component seeks to decrease energy costs through the reservation of $5,000 of rehabilitation funds to be used to increase the energy efficiency of the home through replacement of appliances with energy efficient models or other rehabilitation needs for energy conservation or health and safety concerns.

AppCom is currently working with the Whitefish Housing Authority to submit a Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant.