When land is priced for outside speculation, locals can't compete. Land banking lets us secure land now and build homes working people can actually afford.
Whitefish will always attract visitors. Our mountains, our downtown, our community—they're magnets for people seeking beauty and quality of life. That's not going to change.
But when land is priced for outside demand and speculation, everyday families can't compete. Teachers, nurses, tradespeople, hospitality workers—the people who make Whitefish work—are being priced out of the place they call home.
This isn't just a housing crisis. It's a land crisis. And it demands a different kind of solution.
In a town like Whitefish, who controls the land controls the future.
— The case for land banking
Land banking is how a town fights back without pretending it can stop demand. It's pragmatic, responsible, and proven.
The city or Northwest Montana Community Land Trust acquires land before prices spike further, removing it from speculative markets.
Land is held with one mission: permanently affordable workforce housing. It's protected from market speculation forever.
Housing is developed that working people can actually afford to buy—stabilizing our workforce and our economy.
We don't need to choose between market solutions and community protection. The smartest approach uses both—in parallel.
Allow the market to build more housing—missing middle, small apartments—but do it with a pattern book so it's less expensive, fast, beautiful, human-scale, and predictable.
The market will never reliably build homes that teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and hospitality workers can afford. That's where land banking comes in.
What makes Whitefish beautiful? It's not just the architecture or the mountains. It's the people. Our longtime locals carry the memory of why this town became so special.
Now we get to imagine what it can be next: a place where people can live, work, walk, ride, meet neighbors, and enjoy the outdoors year-round—even in winter.
But that future only works if the people who make Whitefish work can afford to live here. Workforce housing isn't just nice to have. It's essential infrastructure.
With the state-mandated Growth Policy deadline approaching in May 2025, the decisions made in the coming months will shape Whitefish for the next 20 years.
Whitefish kicks off the state-mandated update to its 2007 Growth Policy under the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA).
Hundreds of residents participate in public visioning sessions to shape priorities for housing, land use, and community character.
Planning Commission reviews the critical Housing and Land Use elements of the Growth Policy draft.
City Council begins work sessions on the 200-page Growth Policy document, with final decision authority on key provisions.
Whitefish must adopt both the Growth Policy and new zoning regulations to comply with MLUPA requirements.
The regional organization working to acquire and steward land for permanently affordable housing across the Flathead Valley.
Visit WebsiteThe city's housing authority working on affordable housing solutions for Whitefish residents.
Visit WebsiteInformation and resources about housing availability, programs, and support in the Whitefish community.
Visit WebsiteStay updated on the latest developments in Whitefish housing policy and land banking advocacy.
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Read CoverageA local affordable housing advocacy organization engaged in the Growth Policy process and community organizing.
Learn MoreThe Growth Policy will guide our city for the next 20 years. This is the moment to make your voice heard.