Disaster Emergency Housing Assistance
Click the links below to find the affordable housing in Montana that has been financed with Federal Housing Program funds administered by the Housing Division.
To find available vacant units listed by owners, go to
Rural Development Multi-Family Program Apartments
Rural Development has financed several projects throughout rural Montana. Several of these projects have vacancies which can be access by person(s) who have been displaced due to recent flooding.
Exceptions
The following eligibility exceptions can be granted.
- Maximum income limits can be temporarily waived.
- 12 month lease term requirements can be waived.
- Unit size to family size can be waived.
- Pet policies can be waived.
All waivers are at the sole discretion of the project owner or manager. These exceptions are being made available to the owners and managers by Rural Development.
Occupancy Process
- Locate a project you would be interested in occupying from the Montana Board of Housing Project list. Department of Emergency Service employees can assist parties.
- Notify the project manager and apply for occupancy as a person effected by the floods.
- You must have a FEMA number to be considered for waivers.
- Occupancy is at the discretion of the project manager and owner. Exceptions are granted at the discretion of the project manager.
- Rental assistance may be available if you qualify.
Renters:
Vacant units are available for occupancy to victims of the recent floods. The following waivers can be utilized:
- Letters of Priority Entitlement (LOPE) can be granted to a flood victim. Persons with LOPE can take their letter to any 515 Rural Development financed project and receive priority occupancy. This applies to projects nationwide.
- Income can be imputed from assets.
- Zero income applicants can be allowed occupancy.
- Rental Assistance can be used if the applicant qualifies.
- Security deposits can be waived.
- Age requirements can be waived in elderly completes for a term up to six months.
- Income eligibility can be waived in all projects.
- Annual lease requirements can be waived.
- FEMA registration numbers is required.
Participation in these emergency waivers are at the discretion of the project owner and manager.
Homeowners:
Homeowners that are victims of the floods, can utilize Rural Development homeownership programs in the following manner.
- The 502 Direct Loan Program can be used for new construction, if an existing home is declared a total loss. This program is for very low and low income applicants and include reduced interest mortgages and payment assistance.
- The Guaranteed Loan Program can be used for new construction and is available for low and moderate income families through an approved lender.
- The 504 loan program can be accessed for very low income homeowners to repair or rehabilitate their home. The maximum loan amount is $20,000., the maximum term is 20 years and the interest rate is 1%.
For further question, you can contact the State Office at 406-585-2515.
Project Based
Project Base Section 8 Properties are federally assisted properties that provides rental housing to low-income households in privately owned and managed rental units. Most units rental cost will be 30% of your household adjusted gross income. There may be a variety of housing types available through this program including single-family homes, townhomes, or apartments.
How does it work?
You apply to each individual property that participates in the program. Some units may be reserved for households that are elderly or disabled. Often times you apply for a waiting list that may be several months long. Once you are selected from the waiting list, you may be offered a unit; however, there may be a limited number of available units to choose from.
Do I qualify?
To qualify you must fall within the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s required income limits for the program. Example of rent at 30% income: household with one full-time worker at $7.25/hour might pay $348 per month.
In a disaster declaration the federal agency, HUD, has the ability to waive some of the rental requirements with the exception of the being able to jump ahead of families currently on the properties wait list. If the property is where you would like to live it would be to your benefit to apply to the property wait list.
The properties are listed by county at the following link:
Tax Credit
Low Income Tax Credit program is also available for people who have been displaced by the flooding. List of properties can be found here. Only receiving approval for FEMA/DES individual assistance for housing may be referred to the LIHTC housing projects.
Rev Ruling 2007-54, paragraph (1) indicates that an applicant for a vacant unit may self certify income eligibility and remain in a unit up to 4 months.
Homeownership
The Board of Housing approved a program to help homeowners suffering flood damage. The affected homes must be located in areas that were federally declared flood disaster areas. $3 million of 5.5% funds have been set aside working with FHA’s special disaster insurance programs under the 203(h) and 203(k) programs. 203 Program flyer.
The underwriting criteria for 203(h) loans allows for 100% financing, larger back-end ratios (45) and exclusion of existing mortgage payments on the affected home for financing purchase of a new home. The 203(k) loans are designed to allow the borrower to finance repairs to the home as part of a refinanced loan.
The Flood Relief Housing Program is available until 12/31/12 and can be used anywhere in Montana for a home replacing one that was flood damaged in the federally declared areas. Any lenders participating with the regular Board programs are eligible to originate using the Flood Relief Program. A list of those lenders can be found here.
STATE: Montana, Number: FEMA-1996-DR, Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding
