By Dustin Tyler Joyce
October 26, 2009

American novelist John Steinbeck wrote in Travels with Charlie, “I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana, it is love.”

The United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Realtors gave Steinbeck on October 17 one more thing to love about Montana and its capital city, Helena, as they presented Helena Mayor Jim Smith and the local realtors association a 2009 Ambassadors for Cities award. Smith and Steve Netschert, President of the Helena Association of Realtors (HAR), accepted the award at the graduation ceremony for the latest in the city’s series of classes for potential first-time homebuyers.

“We have come a long way in increasing access to affordable housing here in Helena,” Smith said in accepting the award. “But our work is never finished. I look forward to continuing to work with the Helena Association of Realtors and all the other dedicated people in our city working to help all our residents achieve affordable homeownership.”

The award recognizes the work of the Helena Area Housing Task Force, which was created in early 2009 after HAR approached Smith with the idea of creating a partnership to address housing needs in the city. Sharon Haugen, Planning Director for Helena, with Mark Simonich, HAR’s Director of Government Affairs, head the task force. In addition to the city and HAR, the task force partnership includes the Rocky Mountain Development Council, Helena Housing Authority, Helena Building Industry Association, Downtown Helena Business Improvement District, and local banks, title companies, and appraisers.

The task force has identified a single project for this calendar year: a Community Housing Needs Assessment. The task force will use the needs assessment as a basis for its future efforts to develop a housing plan for the community focused on growth, regulations, and specific housing projects. The task force aims to complete the needs assessment by the end of the year.

The award is accompanied by a $5,000 grant. The Ambassadors for Cities program was established by the Conference of Mayors and NAR in 2004 to encourage cooperation between city halls and local realtors associations in their efforts to promote affordable housing. Helena is one of five cities to receive the award this year.