Create Montana emergency solutions grant for rapid re-housing
Summary
HB 843 would appropriate $1 million from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025 and another $1 million in fiscal year 2026 to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for rapid rehousing assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The bill is framed as a state supplement to federal Emergency Solutions Grant funding, specifically targeting the rapid rehousing component under federal housing rules.
The measure directs that the money be used only for rapid rehousing assistance and generally be distributed in the same manner as existing Emergency Solutions Grant funds, with one notable expansion: rental assistance could be provided at up to 150% of fair market rent, and to households with incomes below 80% of area median income. All appropriated funds for each fiscal year would have to be distributed by the end of that fiscal year, and the act would take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
If enacted, HB 843 would create a new state appropriation and program-specific funding stream for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing, administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. It would not broadly rewrite housing law, but it would add Montana general fund dollars to supplement the federal Emergency Solutions Grant program and establish state conditions for how those funds may be spent, including eligibility and rent limits.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have had some support in committee, but not enough to advance. It received a 14-3 vote in the House Human Services Committee to table the bill, and its final status was 'Died in Process.' That suggests the underlying goal of helping people secure housing had some backing, while the committee majority preferred not to move the appropriation forward.
Contention
The main points of contention likely centered on the use of general fund dollars for a new housing appropriation and the scope of the rental assistance allowed. The bill’s allowance for assistance up to 150% of fair market rent and for households up to 80% of area median income may have raised concerns about program reach, cost, or whether the proposal stayed focused on those most in need. The 14-3 motion to table indicates that most committee members opposed advancing the measure, even if a small minority supported it.