Business

The debates are challenging elected leaders, planning specialists, homebuilders and advocates, pitting long-established homeowners against a system desperate to get a handle on the nation’s growing crisis of housing affordability and homelessness.

The number of homes sold in the Missoula market remains at its lowest point since the housing bubble more than a decade ago, but with this week's interest rate cut, housing officials say that could change.

A $7.5 million federal grant awarded to the city this month will give the Missoula Fire Department a jump on a number of needs when added to the fire levy approved by voters in June.

Kroger argued its merger with Albertsons would lead to immediately lower prices for consumers, but the Federal Trade Commission said the supermarket merger would kill competition and harm the workforce.

A small pool of funding received annually by the city went a long way this past year in renovating affordable housing and helping low-income residents with rental assistance, program officials said Monday.

Since the pandemic, two states, Montana and Idaho, have surpassed California as the most unaffordable states for local homebuyers.

There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019.

The high cost of housing and other necessities will keep the economy central to both of the major campaigns, as seen this week in the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

In a blow to journalism in Montana, Lee Enterprises laid off longtime journalist and former managing editor Rob Chaney of the Missoulian.

Citing concerns over channel migration, Missoula County on Thursday sent a proposed Target Range subdivision back to the drawing board after the developers said they'd be willing to consider a greater setback from the river to protect future homes.