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Affordable Housing in Deer Lodge, Montana: A Three-Decade LIHTC Legacy
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Deer Lodge, located in Montana, has a total of 48 affordable housing units funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, with 45 of these designated as low-income units. Based on the estimated housing inventory of 1,221 units for the city's 2022 population, the LIHTC funded affordable housing covers approximately 3.9% of the city's housing stock.
Deer Lodge has received $45,189 in project tax credits from the LIHTC program. With approximately 2 projects, this translates to an average federal funding of $22,594.50 per project. When considering the total units, the average federal funding per unit is $941.44. The city holds 2% of the total state LIHTC funding.
The first LIHTC project in Deer Lodge, Deer Lodge Apartments, was completed in 1993, while the most recent project, Pebblestone Square (formerly Lavatta Villa), was completed in 2000. This indicates that affordable housing has been present in the city for at least 27 years. The 1990s saw the most affordable housing development activity in Deer Lodge.
The affordable housing inventory in Deer Lodge consists of 7 efficiencies, 30 one-bedroom units, and 11 two-bedroom units. This distribution suggests a focus on smaller household sizes in the city's affordable housing stock.
Over the last decade, Deer Lodge has experienced a slight decline in population, from 3,399 in 2015 to 3,188 in 2022. The median income has fluctuated, reaching a peak of $50,699 in 2019 before decreasing to $41,460 in 2022. The racial composition of the city has remained predominantly white, with a slight increase in diversity in recent years. The Asian population increased from 0% in 2015 to 2% in 2022, while the percentage of residents identifying as two or more races increased from 1% to 3% during the same period.
Deer Lodge's LIHTC funded affordable housing inventory covers a small portion of the city's estimated housing stock. The city has seen two LIHTC projects completed, both in the 1990s, providing a mix of unit types with a focus on one-bedroom apartments. While the population has slightly declined over the past decade, there have been fluctuations in median income and a small increase in racial diversity. These demographic changes may influence future affordable housing needs in the city.
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