In 1994, NAHN founding partners drew from their experience and developed “High Performance Housing Partnership” house plans that produce homes that can be heated for less than $300 per year in a region where winter temperatures often fall well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana started seven new homes in the most troubled neighborhood in town, which bordered important assets like the public high school and the hospital in the mid 1990’s and found that it was a difficult process. NAHN built five new contractor affordable homes nearby, and soon, the two new construction programs joined forces. NAHN provided detailed high-performance house plans and Habitat provided land through donations from public and private sources. Later, NAHN received SHOP funding that made land more affordable for both programs. The Mutual Self-Help Housing Program began to work with both efforts in 2004. Since then, NAHN and Habitat for Humanity have served self-help households in a seamless one-stop application for would-be homebuyers, with underwriting provided by USDA, local lenders and Habitat’s family selection committee and board. Together, the groups have built more than 40 new self-help homes in the high school’s neighborhood and partnered with county and state CDBG funding to add lighting and sidewalks to the efforts. 

Recently, the groups partnered with the IMAGINE BUTTE collaborative to develop a successful Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP3) grant from Montana Department of Commerce and HUD to work in three additional areas of town, using the careful in-fill construction in neighborhoods in need. Generally, the groups found that investment is contagious. A single new home generates approximately four homes of private rehabilitation by neighboring homeowners, as values go up. 

Habitat serves families under 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) in Southwest Montana, while USDA funding can serve families up to 80 percent of AMI. Habitat’s mortgage sources also leverage USDA 502 funding. With NAHN’s expertise in packaging mortgages, the families receive a loan combination that is best suited for their financial needs and their ability to participate in the construction of the homes. Construction supervisors are provided through the USDA program. An organizational benefit for a partnership with Habitat is that all partnering entities can access affordable volunteer insurance. NAHN encourages others to partner with Habitat agencies in their area to increase home ownership and combine resources of land, staff and volunteers whenever possible.

Another partnership that NAHN supports in the community is one between NAHN and the College of Technology. NAHN staff members serve as instructors and field support for the College of Technology’s construction program. Additionally, the seasoned, senior Habitat volunteers work with partner families, outside volunteer groups and students to produce smooth-running housing projects.

RCAC has provided technical assistance to NAHN since the organization received its first self-help grant. NAHN just completed its second grant cycle with USDA Rural Development and has built 39 homes to date. NAHN is starting work under its third self-help grant and the first group of nine families under this grant will again be in a troubled neighborhood of Butte. The partnership with USDA has enabled more production of affordable home ownership in Southwest Montana.