Rural Housing and Economic Development 1999 Grants

PROJECT SUMMARY: MONTANA

Fort Belknap College, in Harlem, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $200,000 to establish a Business Incubator on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, in conjunction with the Fort Belknap College Small Business Development Center. The Business Incubator will be used to increase the capacity of the Business Development Center, which has established a successful record of assisting people in establishing small businesses. This program will serve the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. In-kind leveraging resources supporting this program total $115,765.00. Key participants include: The U.S. Small Business Administration, Montana Department of Commerce, and the Bear Paw Development Corporation.

Contact Person: Phillip Shortman
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 159, Harlem, MT 59526
Phone Number: 406-353-2607

Rocky Mountain Development Council in Helena, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $109,369. The Council will use the grant to identify and address the affordable housing needs of Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark Counties. Among other things, the Council will establish a Tri-County Rural Housing Task Force, conduct a community needs assessment survey, and produce a blueprint based on these and other information gathering activities that will outline the Council's strategy for addressing the affordable housing shortage in the tri-county area. The Rocky Mountain Development Council will be serving residents Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark Counties. The Inter-Agency Coordinating Council for State Prevention Programs will be a key participant in this effort.

Contact Person: Dan Sullivan
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 1717, Helena, MT 59624
Phone Number: 406-447-1629

Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in Poplar, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $148,633.00. This HUD grant will fund an 18-month project designed to enhance economic development and expand homeownership opportunities at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation through the establishment of a comprehensive cultural/tourism strategy, the Sprole Irrigation Project, and the formation of a housing partnership program. This program will serve the residents of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. In-kind leveraging resources supporting this program total $161,719.00. Key participants include: Travel Montana, Missouri River Country, US Department of the Interior, Fort Peck Tribes, Enterprise Community, US Army Corps of Engineers, Montana Department of Natural Resources, Montana Department of Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources Program, Tour Montana, Cultural Tourism Partners, City of Poplar, Fort Peck Housing Authority, BIA Realty and Natural Resources, Fort Peck Community College Extension, Montana State University Extension, USDA, Greater Northern Development Corp.

Contact Person: Jackie Miller
Grantee Address: P. O. Box 1027, Poplar, MT 59255
Phone Number: 406-768-5155, ext. 302

The Heritage Institute, in Poplar, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $501,219. This program will serve the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Wolf Point, Poplar, and Brockton in Roosevelt County. The grant will be used to support the Innovative Energy Program of the Fort Peck Electric Utility (FPEU). The Program is expected to reduce the consumption of energy in buildings served by FPEU by 10-25%, allowing household and business income to be diverted to other needs. The Program will also stimulate the local economy and reduce environmental emissions. The grant funds will be used to hire and train staff, establish program tools, evaluate program performance, and pursue energy retrofit projects. The Program will be coordinated through the Tribe's designated housing entity, LIHEAP, the Federal Energy Management Program (DOE), BIA's Facilities Management and Construction Center, State of Montana energy programs, the Rural Utility Service, the Rural Housing Service, and local lending institutions. The Heritage Institute has committed $60,000 in in-kind labor and discretionary resources to this project. Partners include the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Montana.

Contact Person: James Williamson
Grantee Address: c/o Fort Peck Electric Utility, P.O. Box 1027, Poplar, MT 59255
Phone Number: (406) 768-5155

The Blackfeet Tribe, in Browning, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $600,000. The grant will provide economic development support to Pikuni Industries, a manufacturer of steel home products, for tribal business expansion to enhance job creation and assist in the alleviation of affordable housing needs on the Blackfeet Reservation. The program will provide affordable housing through the manufacture of steel frame assembly line homes. Reservation residents will be hired and trained by Pikuni to perform welding, carpentry, plumbing, engineering and other work. In addition a staff person will be hired to coordinate the development of marketing, housing sales, and assist in setting up financing for prospective Blackfeet homebuyers. Housing loan and grant assistance will be offered through various private and federal funding sources. This program will serve Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Glacier and Pondera Counties, MT. The applicant has committed $568,000 in support of this program. Key participants include: Blackfeet Housing, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Veterans Administration, and the Montana Department of Commerce.

Contact Persons: Marilyn Parsons, (406) 338-7406

Edward Aubert, (406) 338-7700
Grantee Address: P.O. Box 850, Browning, MT 59417

The Blackfeet Tribe in Browning, MT, will also receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $200,000, a seed grant to support the economic development efforts of the Siyeh Corporation. The funding will allow the organization to: broaden the Blackfeet Tribe's efforts in increasing economic opportunity to the community; develop a long-term sustainable economic and business environment for future generations through the development of human and natural resources; and sustain a long-term semi-independent economic development corporation that will act as the business arm for the Blackfeet Tribe. The Corporation will utilize the funds directly to install a permanent Board of Directors, initiate full business operating functions, hire a CEO, initiate full managerial operation of the Corporation, establish contacts and negotiate with prospective joint venture partners, develop a business plan, and develop and implement a bottled water company under Siyeh Corporation. This program will serve the Blackfeet Tribe. In-kind leveraging resources from the Blackfeet Nation total $51,699 in support of this program.

Contact Person: Raymond Montoya
Grantee Address: PO Box 2809, Browning MT 59417
Phone Number: (406) 338-5194

Montana Community Development Corporation, in Missoula, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $199,058 to establish a local non-profit organization in Lolo, Montana. The funds will also be used to develop and implement economic development strategies in connection with the Lewis and Clark Traveler's Rest Heritage Tourism Project. Activities for the Lolo Economic Development Initiative project will include the development of a plan and strategy to take advantage of the close location of a major Lewis & Clark campsite near Lolo. In-kind leveraging resources total $90,258 in support of this program. Key participants include: Montana Community Development Corporation, Forest Service, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Missoula County, Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters, State of Montana, Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission, University of Montana.

Contact Person: Rosalie Sheehy Cates, Executive Director
Grantee Address: 127 North Higgins, Missoula, MT 59802
Phone Number: (406) 543-3550

Action For Eastern Montana, Inc., in Glendive, MT, will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $126,766. Funds will be used to develop and implement a Resource, Occupation and Career Center. Job training and self-employment skills will be targeted to single parent households, displaced homemakers, dislocated workers and victims of farm failures in frontier communities. Activities will include office setup, purchase of equipment, job and skills training sessions, incubation of new business ideas. The results of the program will be the creation of jobs and businesses. This program will serve Carter, Daniels, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley and Wibaux Counties. In-kind leveraging resources total $14,733 and technical assistance and small business loans in support of this program. Key participants include: Action for Eastern Montana, Inc., Enterprise Opportunities, Inc., Computer Technology, SAGE Technical Services, Professional occupational & Licensing Bureau, Montana Apprenticeship Training Program, Dawson Community College, Extension Offices, Conservation Offices, Small Business Development Center, Eastern Plains RC&D, Montana Department of Transportation, North Dakota marketing Alliance, Nemont Rural Telephone Cooperative, Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative and Montana Department of Commerce.

Contact Person: Leslie Colbrese, Executive Director
Grantee Address: P.O. Box 1309, Glendive, MT 59330
Phone Number: (406) 377-3564

Content Archived: January 20, 2009