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  • Why does building more homes help with affordability?

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    When there aren’t enough homes for the people who want to live here, prices go up and households have to compete. By allowing more homes and different housing types, we can:


    • Ease pressure on prices.
    • Give more choices for first-time buyers, seniors, and working families.
    • Keep people from being pushed out of the community.


    A housing market with enough homes is more stable and more affordable.



  • New homes will still be too expensive for me to buy—how does allowing more construction actually help?

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    It’s true that most new homes are built at today’s prices and may still be expensive. But allowing more construction helps in another important way—through something called “housing filtering.”


    • When new homes are built, people who can afford them often move out of older homes or apartments.
    • Those older homes then become available for other households at lower prices or rents.
    • Over time, this creates more movement and more choices in the housing market.


    In short, new homes help open existing homes for others, creating more options for everyone.



  • Will the new zoning raise my property taxes?

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    No. Zoning changes do not raise property taxes. Tax rates are set by the state legislature and local budget decisions, not by zoning. Here’s what that means in practice:


    • Zoning does not affect your tax rate. It defines how land can be used, not how it’s taxed.
    • New housing and growth can actually help spread costs over more taxpayers, which can reduce pressure on individual households.
    • Your tax bill only changes if local or state budgets change, or if your property value changes compared to others—not because zoning rules are updated.


    In short, zoning sets rules for how property can be used—it doesn’t decide how much tax you pay.



  • Will the new zoning lower my home value?

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    No. The goal of the new zoning code is to make housing more available and stable—not to reduce the value of existing homes. Here’s what we’re working toward:


    • Making it easier to build new homes that people can afford, so more Missoulians can find a place to live.
    • Slowing down extreme price increases that make housing out of reach for many families.
    • Supporting steady, healthy growth—the kind that helps property values rise at a sustainable rate, instead of spiking quickly and pushing people out.


    In short, the new zoning is about building a more balanced housing market—one that keeps Missoula affordable while protecting long-term neighborhood stability.



  • I’m scared Missoula will change into something I don’t recognize.

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    That feeling is understandable. Missoula is a special place, and it’s natural to worry about change. But growth is already happening—our choice is how we guide it. Here’s how we’re doing that:


    • Change will happen slowly, not overnight.
    • New development will be designed to fit with existing neighborhoods through context-sensitive design.
    • Planning ahead helps protect what we love while making room for the people who make Missoula strong.
    • Saying “no” to all growth would mean telling some people—teachers, nurses, and our own kids—that there’s no place for them here. That’s not the Missoula we believe in.


    In short, growth is coming no matter what. The new zoning helps us manage it thoughtfully—so Missoula can grow and change without losing the things that make it home.