Housing Whitefish nears matching goal
In April 2025, Whitefish City Council approved Housing Whitefish’s three-year funding request for the Whitefish Workforce Rental Assistance Program. In the agreement with the city, Housing Whitefish committed to matching the city funds one-to-one each fiscal year - $200,000 in FY26, $250,000 in FY27 and $300,000 in FY28.
With a recent three-year commitment from the Foley Family Charitable Foundation totaling $120,000, and contributions from Explore Whitefish, the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, Airbnb, and the 131 donors that gave in the 2025 Great Fish Community Challenge, Housing Whitefish has only $20,000 left to meet the matching goal before July 1, 2026.
The Workforce Rental Assistance Program continues to make a growing impact in the Whitefish community. The program recently served its 100th household, having successfully doubled the number of people served in 2025.
Here are a few other metrics the organization tracks: 102 total households, serving 184 total individuals; 36 households with kids at home; 37 – average applicant age; 9.8 years – average years lived in Whitefish; 73 – number of businesses with employees that have been in the program.
Local property manager, Carly Tuman of Latitude Management, has several tenants in the rental assistance program.
“The program has helped several prospective tenants become qualified to rent apartments, when otherwise they would not meet the application income requirements,” Tuman said.
Tuman is one of 55 property managers or property owners that has tenants in the program and has seen first-hand how the program assists residents attain and retain housing in the same town in which they work.
“Most of our tenants are part of the local workforce, and include Whitefish restaurants, hotels, and bank employees,” Tuman said. “I have had a positive and educational experience working with Housing Whitefish and have enjoyed engaging in a partnership that benefits locals and their housing needs."
A local worker in the program who requested to remain anonymous recently shared, “The only reason I have been able to remain in Whitefish and work here is thanks to this program.”
The increased program budget through FY28 is in anticipation of serving more households.
“More importantly we want to provide additional housing navigation services to help people get out of the program and into more stable renting or owning situations,” said Housing Whitefish Executive Director Daniel Sidder.
Read the article at the Whitefish Pilot.