Community Development

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WE BELIEVE IN THE​

POWER OF COMMUNITY.

Our Community Development team’s work is guided by what we learn from our Community Needs Assessment. Over the past several years housing affordability has surfaced as a top concern for Southwest Montana. To help residents thrive, HRDC works to preserve and build homes across the housing continuum from homelessness to homeownership. 

Together, we work with community leaders to create changes to positively impact our customers’ lives.

Interested in purchasing a home from the HRDC?

For homeownership opportunities developed by the HRDC, we use the Community Land Trust Model to maintain affordability for future generations. This short video from our partners at Grounded Solutions explains the concept of Community Land Trust. HRDC has been operating with this model since the mid 1990’s for low and moderate income households. HRDC currently holds 51 homes in Bozeman and an additional 10 in Livingston using the Community Land Trust model.

Current homes for sale in Bozeman and Livingston.

To learn more, visit the Southwest Montana Community Housing Trust website.

Join the affordable homeownership interest list. Joining offers notifications for upcoming opportunities in our community including deed-restricted below market homes for sale.

Looking for more information on HRDC and our community? 


Partner With Us

From experience, we know how much further we can go by working together. Our team brings decades of experience in the development of community facilities and housing spanning from warming centers to tiny homes to multi-family buildings, with completed projects totaling over $60 million dollars. We are knowledgeable in project financing, blending private, State and Federal funding sources to accomplish project objectives. Contact us at for more information on how to partner with the HRDC on your next community housing endeavor.  

Community Development Staff

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Lila Fleishman

Community Development Director

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Mindy DeCosse

Community Development Project Coordinator

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Andy Ferguson

Construction Project Manager

Lila Fleishman

Project Manager

Lila began her role in Community Development in April 2019. Prior to joining our team, she held diverse roles with startups in civic innovation, tackling challenges both locally and globally.  Lila also brings experience from the outdoor adventure and education industries, including National Geographic Education.

Lila has a BA in Human Geography with a focus on urban planning and sustainability from the University of North Carolina. She is inspired to work at HRDC because of the creativity and dedication of her colleagues who take ownership of community concerns, both big and small.

In addition to her work at HRDC, Lila serves on the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board and the Bozeman Affordable Housing Working Group. She also volunteers her time to register voters in our community. Lila can be found enjoying Hyalite Canyon year-round, especially in the winter for ice climbing and in April during the road closure for spring bike rides. 

Mindy DeCosse

Community Development Project Coordinator

Mindy joined HRDC in 2022 as the Community Devolvement Program Coordinator managing the Community Land Trust program and originating down payment assistance loans funded by the HOME program.

A Bozeman native, Mindy grew up in the housing industry. The daughter of an interior designer and furniture store owner, she learned about design and spatial layouts in homes at an early age. Wanting to expand on that knowledge, she attended the Architecture program at Montana State University.

Mindy has spent over 13 years in the building industry in Bozeman as a Project Manager, Client Relations Manager as well as CFO, understanding all facets of the building process. The previous project ranged from small spec condos to million dollar plus custom projects.

Mindy loves the community she was raised in and is active with the Bozeman Chamber and volunteers her time through Sweet Pea Lions Club and Hope & The Holidays to help try and keep it a great place for everyone.

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Brooke Poole

Public Sector

Since 2015, Brooke has been working with Allergan Aesthetics, Body Contouring. In 2018, Brooke began her role as Senior Manager of Training. Brooke graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Commercial Photography from Appalachian State University in 2011.

Brooke began her role on our Board in 2019. However, she feels it’s more fitting to say that she gets to serve on our Board. For Brooke, an evening at our Fork & Spoon was her first glance into our organization’s powerful work. As Brooke states, joining the Board has only expanded her appreciation for the caliber of people leading our mission and the impact of our vast ecosystem of services. While metrics alone are impressive, Brooke likes to visualize each number as an individual example of support – an extension of a helping hand, a moment of relief – given to one of our neighbors. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in shaping HRDC’s future.

Although Brooke spends most of her volunteer time with HRDC, she was fortunate enough to build with Habitat for Humanity over the course of the summer in 2020. Her favorite place to spend time is anywhere under the Big Sky, although Hyalite may be her favorite place on Earth.

Ron Brey

Public Sector

Ron served as Bozeman’s Assistant City Manager from 1990 to 2008. After retiring, Ron joined our Board in 2011. Ron received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Montana in 1977, and his Masters in Science in Rural, Town, and Regional Planning from the University of Montana in 1987.

During his time with the City of Bozeman, Ron saw the important role that HRDC has played in our community. Ron has seen that HRDC provides necessary social services to assure that all Bozeman residents could obtain housing, food, training, employment and the other necessities of life. He also came to understand that HRDC was always able to respond immediately as new community needs arose. Ron believes that the dedication, hard work, and compassion of HRDC’s staff make it a real honor to serve on the Board.

Ron also serves on the Trails, Open Space and Parks Committee for the City of Bozeman, and as a volunteer with the Red Cross. One of Ron’s favorite activities is walking his beloved dog every day, enjoying many of Bozeman’s trails and parks, like Burke Park, Bozeman Creek, and the Hyalite and Mount Ellis areas. Ron and his wife Claire enjoy spending their days with family, friends, and time outdoors.