Senator Max Baucus (Montana) with four new happy homeowners.

Four happy homeowners are looking forward to closing on their houses before Thanksgiving in a once-blighted neighborhood in the small community of Black Eagle, Montana. (See local coverage in the Great Falls Tribune.)

Senator Max Baucus of Montana joined NeighborWorks Great Falls (NWGF) for an open house at the new homes. Sixty-five residents and dignitaries, plus the prospective homeowners, turned out to tour the manufactured homes Wednesday, October 29. Black Eagle lies north of Great Falls.

NeighborWorks Rocky Mountain District Director Gary Wolfe and NeighborWorks Great Falls Executive Director Sheila Rice

NeighborWorks America Rocky Mountain Director Gary Wolfe thanked Senator Baucus for his ongoing support of NeighborWorks America's appropriations. NWGF Executive Director Sheila Rice also thanked Baucus and praised all of the project’s partners, including government agencies, community organizations and private businesses.

Senator Baucus said he had long admired the spirit and the can-do attitude of the people of Black Eagle. He thanked all of those involved, and called the prospective homeowners up to the podium to congratulate them.

Homeowner-to-be Doug Caudle said he and his wife waited a long time and worked hard to make this happen for them. He, too, thanked all those involved and said how lucky they felt to have worked with NeighborWorks to get their home.

The project got its start in 2006, when NeighborWorks Great Falls expanded its target areas to include Black Eagle, where a group of community residents sought help developing new housing stock and fighting blight. At about the same time, Cascade County received a HOME grant from the state of Montana. HOME grants are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the State Department of Commerce. The grant was aimed at helping improve housing conditions in rural Cascade County.

NeighborWorks purchased the former site of the Black Eagle cabins and removed 17 dilapidated structures from the property to clear the site for new construction. National funders, including the Ford Foundation and Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) provided development funding to NeighborWorks for the manufactured housing program. Capital funding for the project was contributed by NeighborWorks America.  Rural Development Housing Services is the lender to new homebuyers for the mortgages. 

The design of the houses gives them the look of a “stick-built” house, the lots are good sized, and eventual landscaping will help the homes fit into the existing fabric of Black Eagle. Exterior features include a large front porch, horizontal siding, 16-inch eaves and 4/12 roof pitches. Inside, the homes have doorways and bathrooms that meet the universal accessibility requirements. The four homes sold quickly, with the new families set to close their loans and move in by Thanksgiving. 

NeighborWorks Great Falls is a local housing nonprofit organization with twin missions of helping hard-working families become homeowners and rebuilding and improving older neighborhoods.