MISSOULA — Affordable housing has been a priority for many in Western Montana as the cost of rent has climbed.
The median rent price in Missoula in 2024 was just over $1,300, according to the Missoula Organization of REALTORS.
That's why the Howards Apartments has been so important to tenants as it provided cheap rent.
Now, renovations are requiring all tenants to leave, which concerns those leaving about the affordability of their future.
In January, a notice was sent to 35 households by Caras Property Management stating that the apartments above Main and Ryman Streets will be closing for serious rehabilitation including structural defects and leaks in the plumbing.
"I've lived there for 12 years. I really lucked out with the apartment that I had," tenant Hannah Frommelt said.
Frommelt has lived at Howard's for over a decade. Now, she worries about where she'll end up.
"To find rent here in Missoula, I'm gonna have to pay 3 times as much," Frommelt told MTN.
Rent varies per resident, but for many it's less than $500 per month, which people say is almost impossible to find in Missoula.
"Many of the residents are being re-homed in places that require more than a third of their income to cover the new rent in the new building that they're moving into," Missoula Tenants Union member Josh Decker said.
Caras Property Management plans to fix up the building, which is why residents are being told to leave.
However, residents are not without resources.
Jackie Peterson, Missoula Area Branch Manager, tells MTN, "The property owner established a $50,000 tenant relocation fund to help cover moving expenses, security deposits, and other hardship-related needs. The property management team has conducted relocation meetings with residents and has helped place 12 households within its own portfolio."
Each resident gets approximately $4,000. Frommelt says that money needs to be used by the end of March.
"If I don't find a place by then, it's not going to be helpful, but it has been really helpful in alleviating the stress of applying to different places. I don't have to come up with multiple hundreds of dollars for every $50 application fee, so I can just apply. So, that I think has been really helpful from Caras," Frommelt explained.
Decker notes, however, the loss of Howard's is a major loss of affordable housing when options are already scarce.
"After the remodel happens there won't be nearly as many units and the units will be available at market rate," Decker said.
The deadline for the remaining 5 tenants to vacate is Friday, March 13. Caras tells MTN they're working one-on-one with them to provide support.
Still, Fromment says the current state of housing in Missoula is frustrating and needs change.
"It has been just such a powerless feeling trying to get into a reasonable housing that feels safe, and so, yeah, I don't know what to say, how to improve the situation because it's citywide. It's not like it's just one property manager," Frommelt detailed.
