HRDC has been working with the community of Gardiner to address local housing challenges for over ten years. When the opportunity arose to purchase developable land in 2020, HRDC secured the land for future community housing. The proposed project at 40 Jardine Road will include 36 condo row homes located within the Gardiner water sewer district and within walking distance of core downtown Gardiner.
Our intention with this project is that this new neighborhood will offer homes available to a mix of incomes, primarily targeting middle-income households to purchase permanently affordable homeownership through the community land trust model. Over the past thirty years, HRDC has successfully completed community land trust developments in Bozeman, Livingston, and Big Sky. These developments have fostered strong community bonds through owner-occupied housing, offering families the chance to establish roots in neighborhoods where traditional homeownership may have been out of reach.
This project has support from local nonprofit organizations, major employers, and community members looking for solutions to increase opportunities for Gardiner community members to have secure and affordable homeownership. Within the rural, unincorporated town of Gardiner, this proposed project will meaningfully address the need for homeownership within reach of local residents.
HRDC and community partners continue to make progress toward our shared goal with a focus on filling the subsidy gap required to complete the project. If you are interested in making a lasting impact on the community and local economy of Gardiner, please reach out to HRDC Community Development Director Lila Fleishman lfleishman@thehrdc.org to learn more.
Project History
2020:
HRDC purchased the land from Yellowstone Forever for future housing development and began preliminary site planning to assess feasible development options.
2021:
The Park County Commission awarded $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support site infrastructure.
2022:
In April, HRDC held a community meeting in Gardiner to gather feedback on the preliminary design. Community engagement was temporarily paused due to flooding events in June, allowing HRDC to address immediate community needs and support partners.
2023:
- HRDC secured a pre-development loan from Rural LISC to continue feasibility analysis.
- Encompass Architecture was competitively procured to advance site and unit design.
- HRDC re-engaged with Gardiner partners to determine the optimal unit mix to meet community needs.
- HRDC secured technical assistance from the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) to enhance project capacity and meet development timelines.
2024:
- A third-party market study confirmed strong demand for below-market homeownership, with a slightly lower but still significant demand for rentals.
- In response to the study’s findings, community and partner feedback, and project costs, HRDC pivoted to a neighborhood design featuring 36 townhomes, sold at a mix of income levels and held in a community land trust.
- HRDC worked with Encompass Architecture and RCAC to refine the neighborhood design and update the project pro forma, finalizing the unit mix at 36 homes for homeownership.
- Considered incorporating a community center/resiliency hub into the neighborhood design (currently on hold but included in planning).
- Completed Phase 1 environmental review and other HUD-required documentation in anticipation of future federal funding opportunities.
- HRDC applied for $1,000,000 in HOME funds. While not selected this year, the team received positive feedback for future applications. Compelling the UniApp will support HRDC’s intention to invest $500,000 of HOME program income into the project.
- HRDC applied for a $344,419 grant through the Mountains and Plains Environmental Justice Grants Hub, a regional grantmaker under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. (Pending decision).
