The CDBG Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development supports eligible community development projects.

Missoula County is only allowed one active grant award per CDBG grant category and grant applications to the MDOC are highly competitive. Grants & Community Resources staff have developed a CDBG Pre-Application process to identify community partners and eligible projects that align with Missoula County priorities and CDBG program requirement which Missoula County can support with an application to the MDOC. The CDBG HSP Pre-Application and CDBG Facilities Pre-Application ran from June 6 to June 27, 2025.

CDBG Public and Community Facilities
Annually, MDOC allocates approximately $2.5 million of the CDBG funding to improve and sustain public infrastructure and community facilities. In anticipation of a fall 2025 application deadline, pre-applications are now being accepted by Missoula County to identify a partnering entity and/or potential subrecipient of CDBG funding.

CDBG Housing Stabilization Program
Missoula County is currently eligible to apply for CDBG funding to support eligible Housing Stabilization Program (CDBG HSP) projects on behalf of a non-profit entity. Eligible projects involve the new construction or rehabilitation of single-family housing with 1 to 4 units, whether for rent or purchase or are owner-occupied by persons of low to moderate income.

Current projects:

Missoula Children’s Theatre Roof Replacement & Solar Installation

Missoula County partnered with Missoula Children’s Theatre to secure a $525,000 CDBG–Economic Development grant through the State of Montana to fund a roof replacement and install rooftop solar panels at their facility. The current roof is in disrepair and to ensure the health and safety of employees and patrons, the roof will be replaced and upgraded with new materials. Additionally, low-tilt solar panels will be installed to support ongoing operations at the facility, and contribute to Missoula County and City of Missoula’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2030.

Housing Montana Heroes

Missoula County worked with the Poverello Center to obtain $600,000 in CDBG funding through the State of Montana to partially fund the new veterans’ housing project located at the Clark Fork Inn at 1010 West Broadway. The project will include deconstructing the existing Clark Fork Inn L-shaped structure and replacing it with 16 units of transitional housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Combined with an existing 4-unit building on site, the project will support 20 veterans. The new facility will provide supportive housing with the goal of assisting veterans in obtaining permanent housing. The total cost of the project is $6 million. The project is supported by additional grant funding, including: The U.S. Veteran’s Administration, City of Missoula Entitlement CDBG, Missoula County ARPA, City of Missoula ARPA, Treacy Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Town Pump Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. 

Future Projects

Missoula County performs an annual Housing and Community Development Survey to identify potential projects that could benefit from CDBG funding. When an eligible project is identified, Missoula County works with a community partner to prepare an application. The Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC) accepts CDBG project application in the fall of each year.  MDOC accepts CDBG planning grant applications throughout a calendar year. Check back for more information about upcoming funding opportunities.

Supporting documents

• Overview of CDBG - Pre-Application
• Public and Community Facilities - Pre-Application
• Housing Stabilization - Pre-Application

The Crisis Diversion Grant (formerly known as the County Tribal Matching Grant) provides grant funding from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to support and expand vital crisis mental health services in Missoula. 

Missoula County’s most recent award of a little over $2.2 million funds a variety of services from July 2024 through June 2027, including:

• Reentry Navigator at Watershed Navigation Center (Missoula County Community Justice Department)
• Youth Homes Crisis Manager (Missoula Youth Homes)
• Strategic Alliance Project Facilitator (Partnership Health Center)
• Youth Crisis Mobile Clinician(s) (St. Patrick Hospital-Providence)
• Living Works Suicide Intervention Training (Missoula Public Health)
• Tenancy Support Specialist (Partnership Health Center)
• Referral and Outreach Coordinator (Western Montana Mental Health Center)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Workforce Development and Training Coordinator (City of Missoula – Police Department)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Research and Evaluation Analyst (City of Missoula – Police Department)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training funds for law enforcement and first responders
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for the community

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services allocated Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) funding to local detention centers for jail-based therapeutic services, peer support services, care coordination, and other related services.  County was previously awarded over $550,000 and was recently awarded an additional $309,379 for July 2024 through June 2025.  Funding from this grant helps pay for behavioral health services within the Missoula County Detention Facility.

Missoula County’s Jail Mental Health Team is currently comprised of one lead mental health therapist, three mental health therapists, one care coordinator, and two interns from the University of Montana School of Social Work.  They work with both adults and juveniles in the Missoula County Detention Facility providing services including:

• Offering individual and group therapy within the jail
• Connecting an individual to follow up mental health care with a service provider upon release
• Stabilizing inmates with a severe disabling mental illness so they can function as part of the general jail population and have an easier transition back to the community upon release
• Completing suicide/violence risk assessments
• Discussing coping skills and assisting with community re-integration
• Conducting initial diagnostic interviews
• Coordinating with detention staff, lawyers, and community providers, as needed, to assist inmates with obtaining services

Any inmate is eligible for assistance from the jail mental health team.

Income-eligible homeowners residing in Lolo, El Mar, Lewis and Clark and Sunset West RSID boundaries who are facing an unexpected water or sewer line repair expense can contact their RSID Operations Manager to apply for a loan to cover repair costs. The application is submitted to Missoula County Grants and Community Resource Department for verification of eligibility. Missoula County will notify the homeowner of their eligibility and provide further instructions.

Once approved, the homeowner contacts at least two contractors to obtain quotes. The contractor with the lowest responsible quote is then selected to complete the repair work and the homeowner enters into a loan agreement with the county for the amount quoted.

Once the work is completed, the RSID Operations Manager and homeowner verify the work was done to their satisfaction. The contractor sends the invoice to Missoula County for payment.