Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke and his Democratic challenger, Monica Tranel, don’t agree on much, but the two repeat rivals for western Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives agree that one issue that comes up frequently on the campaign trail is affordable and available housing, or the lack thereof, in western Montana.
While housing prices have risen nationwide, a recent report found that Montana has the fastest-growing housing market in the country. The chasm between supply and demand is even more stark in Missoula, Bozeman and the Flathead Valley — all within the western House district. In Missoula, according to the Montana Regional MLS, the median sale price for a home has jumped from $419,535 in January 2021 to more than $549,000 in June of this year. During the same time period in Flathead County, it’s gone from $385,000 to $682,000. Rents have also gone up, especially in resort communities like Whitefish, where short-term rentals have become a popular investment.
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“It’s a big issue in the western House district, since it’s where some of the most expensive housing is,” said Nathan Dugan, president of Shelter WF, a Whitefish-based nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing.
Of the statewide races this election season, the rematch between Zinke and Tranel is perhaps the most overlooked — especially when compared to a U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy that could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress in Washington D.C. But people like Dugan are hopeful that a quieter race could mean more attention paid to policy differences. However, as he notes, there is only so much that can be done at the federal level to address the issue, since zoning and construction decisions are usually made at the local level. But that hasn’t stopped Zinke or Tranel from addressing housing issues in their campaigns.
