A Permanently Affordable, Design-Forward Workforce Community at the Base of Lion Mountain
42 homes at the base of Lion Mountain — ~60% affordable to Whitefish's workforce under 70-year ground leases, renewable in perpetuity by the land trust. Heritage trees retained. Viewsheds of Big Mountain, Glacier National Park, and the Swan Range preserved. Perimeter parking only. Interior open space shared with the neighborhood. A community designed to be a favorite place, generations from now.
The same resort economy that makes Whitefish a desirable destination has driven housing costs far beyond the reach of the people who keep it running. Teachers, nurses, ski patrol, restaurant workers, and municipal employees are commuting from Kalispell and beyond — or leaving entirely. According to data cited throughout the Vision Whitefish 2045 process, 76% of workers employed in Whitefish do not live in Whitefish. This is not a new problem. It is an accelerating one, and it requires permanent solutions, not temporary fixes. Vision Whitefish 2045 — the City's growth policy adopted by the Whitefish City Council on April 20, 2026 — identified expanded affordable housing supply as the single most cited priority throughout its community engagement process. The demand for workforce housing is not an outside imposition. It is what Whitefish residents asked for, on the record.
Haugen Colony takes its name from the Norwegian haugen — "the hill" — a fitting companion to the existing Haugen Heights street to the west, and a direct nod to the Scandinavian kolonihaugen tradition of cooperative hillside cottage communities built for dignity, beauty, and longevity — not factory-stamped density.
The development's internal street, Skogen Hollow, takes its name from the Norwegian skogen — "the forest" — describing the wooded, sheltered character of the slope as it descends from Lion Mountain toward Lake Park Lane and the Whitefish Lake Golf Course. Heritage Western cedar, larch, and aspen are retained by design. The landscape plan centers on low-maintenance, high-impact perennials locally beloved and suited to the climate — lilacs, daffodils, crocuses, and similar seasonal favorites — chosen for visual impact across three seasons and suited to the east-facing slope. Native fine fescue grasses cover open areas, minimizing water demand across the site. Plants that look like Whitefish.
42 homes are arranged across 14 star/Y-shaped triplex clusters across a natural 13% slope. Foundation coverage stays below 30% of the lot. Natural permeable vegetation covers more than 40% of the site. Skogen Hollow is a pedestrian-priority shared surface — private resident vehicles are not permitted on the interior street. Fire, police, postal carriers, snow plow, and maintenance are the only permitted vehicles on a street that belongs to people on foot.
The interior open space — forested, planted, and cared for by the community — is designed as a privately-owned, publicly accessible community resource. Neighbors from Haugen Heights and beyond are welcome. This is a colony, not a compound.
Haugen Colony Land Trust holds the land permanently on behalf of residents. Residents own their home — not the land beneath it, which stays with the trust permanently. When a homeowner sells, a buyer purchases the home. Deed-restricted units sell at a CPI-adjusted price — the seller builds equity as values rise with inflation, and the next buyer gets in at the same affordability the original owner did. The land never leaves the trust. That permanence is the project's core promise.
Each triplex cluster is organized around a central shared utility core — housing storage, e-bike and personal mobility charging, and common space — with residential wings radiating outward in a star/Y arrangement, stepping naturally with the slope along Skogen Hollow. This "utility core as social spine" model reduces per-unit infrastructure cost, activates shared community space, and preserves the forested character of the site.
Foundations and utility engineering are standardized across all clusters — a deliberate cost-control decision that makes the project financially viable. But standardized bones do not mean standardized character. Exterior finishes are individually customized across four design vocabularies reflecting Whitefish's actual architectural heritage: Scandinavian Minimalist, Victorian Gable / Cottage, Mountain Modern, and Mid-Century Modern. The goal is a community that accumulates genuine character — the way a real neighborhood that has been loved for decades looks — rather than the uniform repetition of Soviet-era factory housing at any income level.
Neighbors who wish to contribute to the community's material quality may participate in a voluntary Community Design Fund — a pool allowing cottages to be upgraded to premium natural finishes (natural wood and stone) beyond the standard specification. Contributions may be tax-advantaged depending on the donor's structure — consult your advisor. They permanently improve the community's physical legacy.
All resident parking is perimeter-only with Level 2 EV charging — bringing electric vehicle affordability to working-class households for whom the cost of EV charging infrastructure has historically been a barrier. The interior stays car-free. Each cluster's utility core provides dedicated e-bike and personal mobility charging, shared across the cluster.
Haugen Colony Land Trust holds the land permanently on behalf of the community. It is an ongoing institution with the authority to set and manage ground lease terms over time.
Here is how it works in practice: residents purchase their home — the structure — at full or subsidized price. The land beneath it stays with the trust and is never sold. Residents pay a monthly ground lease ($800–$1,600/mo, including HOA) in place of a land mortgage. When a resident sells, a buyer purchases the home. Market-rate units sell at market price. Deed-restricted units sell at a CPI-adjusted price — the seller builds equity as values rise with inflation, and the next buyer gets in at the same affordability. Title to the home and a new 70-year ground lease convey to the buyer at closing. The land stays with the trust.
Most affordable housing programs are time-limited — a deed restriction expires, a tax credit deal runs its term, and the units return to the market. A community land trust is structured differently: the land trust is an ongoing institution with a board and the legal authority to manage ground lease terms over time. Ground leases run 70 years — the maximum under Montana law — and a new one conveys to the buyer at every closing.
These are the non-negotiable design commitments that distinguish Haugen Colony from conventional subsidized housing programs — and from the kind of well-intentioned development that looks tired within a decade and forgotten within a generation. Each principle is a specific, measurable, enforceable commitment.
Western cedar, larch, and aspen on the site are retained by design — not by default. Site grading and cluster placement are planned around the existing tree canopy, not the other way around. What is already beautiful is kept.
Design RequirementThe landscape plan uses locally beloved perennials suited to Whitefish's climate — lilacs, daffodils, crocuses, and similar seasonal favorites — selected for three-season visual impact and climate suitability. Plants that thrive here and that residents already love.
Landscape Plan RequirementThe interior open space — forested, planted, and cared for by residents — is privately owned but publicly accessible. Neighbors from Haugen Heights and the surrounding streets are welcome to walk Skogen Hollow. This is a colony, not a compound. It is a community asset, not a gated enclave.
Governing Document ProvisionFoundations cover less than 30% of the total lot area — a hard ceiling that ensures the majority of the site stays open, planted, and permeable regardless of final unit count or cluster arrangement. The land remains the community's largest amenity.
Hard Limit: Under 30%More than 40% of the site area is maintained as permeable natural vegetation — not pavement, not high-maintenance ornamental beds. Native and naturalized plants that belong here.
Hard Minimum: Over 40%Units step with the natural ~13% grade rather than imposing a flat pad on the hillside. The slope is an asset — it creates natural privacy separation between clusters, preserves viewsheds toward Big Mountain, Glacier National Park, and the Swan Range, and eliminates the visual mass of uniform-height construction.
Site Design RequirementFoundation layouts and utility engineering are standardized across clusters — a deliberate cost-control measure that makes the project buildable within budget. But finishes are individually specified, ensuring every home reads as distinct. Economy below grade; individuality above it.
Construction StrategyScandinavian Minimalist, Victorian Gable / Cottage, Mountain Modern, and Mid-Century Modern — selected to reflect the actual architectural heritage of Whitefish and the Norwegian context of Haugen Heights. No factory repetition. No generic government-housing aesthetic. These are homes that have a point of view.
Design StandardNeighbors — inside and outside the community — may voluntarily contribute to a fund that upgrades specific cottages to premium natural finishes: natural wood and stone. May be tax-advantaged depending on donor structure — consult your advisor.
Voluntary ProgramLevel II EV charging at all perimeter curb parking spaces — not just a handful of premium spots. Haugen Colony's EV infrastructure supports residents who, as renters or co-owners without private garages, would otherwise have no access to home charging — a documented barrier to EV adoption among lower-income households.
Infrastructure RequirementAll resident and visitor vehicle parking is at the site perimeter. No driveways, garages, or parking pads interrupt the interior open space. The center of the community belongs to people — not to stored vehicles. This maximizes the usable open space and the quality of every cluster's immediate environment.
Site Design Requirement25 of 42 homes (~60%) are attainable for workforce households across two income tiers — from the 60% MFI tier to core workforce. Unit sizes range from studios to family-scale homes to reflect the actual demographic range of Whitefish: its current residents, its historical workforce, and the next generation that will define its future.
Attainability Structure · 70-Year Ground LeaseEvery design decision — materials, plantings, open space ratios, architectural vocabulary, infrastructure — is evaluated against a single question: will this be a beloved place in 100 years? Not just livable. Not just code-compliant. A favorite place, generations from now, that people are proud to have fought for.
Project StandardHaugen Colony's planting palette is built around locally beloved perennials proven in Whitefish's climate — low maintenance, high visual impact, three-season interest. Plants that residents already know and love, newly planted to define the character of this community for the next century.
Three hard metrics that define what Haugen Colony is — and what it is not. These are not aspirations; they are design constraints enforced from the first site plan.
Coverage metrics are minimum performance thresholds enforced from the first site plan and will be confirmed at formal application — not estimates subject to value engineering.
25 of 42 homes — ~60% — are attainable for workforce households, held under 70-year ground leases (the maximum term under Montana MCA) by Haugen Colony Land Trust. The land trust holds the land permanently; leases renew, keeping homes attainable at every transfer. All 42 units are under ground lease. The remaining 17 units (~40%) are unrestricted: available for market-rate ownership, visiting artist and performer residencies, festival surge capacity — including Under the Big Sky and similar events — or flexible housing use in partnership with local civic and arts institutions. Revenue from these units helps finance the 60% MFI tier.
Vision Whitefish 2045 — adopted by the Whitefish City Council on April 20, 2026 — documented resounding public support throughout its community engagement process for affordable and workforce housing as the community's top priority. This project directly responds to that mandate. The neighborhood already includes Mountain Senior Apartments, a federally-funded LIHTC affordable housing development — evidence that affordable housing has long been part of this neighborhood's actual land-use pattern.
The Montana Legislature has struck a deliberate bargain with cities: through MLUPA (SB 382), Helena prohibited exclusionary zoning practices that block housing production — requiring cities to allow greater density, more housing types, and infill development. At the same time, the Legislature prohibited inclusionary zoning — cities cannot require any private developer to include affordable or workforce units. The state opened the door to more housing; it left affordability entirely to the private market and voluntary action. Every workforce home built in Whitefish today is either taxpayer-funded or strictly voluntary. Haugen Colony is neither subsidized nor mandated. Haugen Colony boldly steps up to that challenge: 25 of 42 homes reserved for workforce households, held permanently by a community land trust, with no public mandate requiring any of it.
Calibrated against the HUD Median Family Income (MFI) for Whitefish, the tiers below represent the real working households being displaced: teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and municipal employees commuting from Marion, Kalispell, and beyond because they can't afford to live where they work. The 100% MFI tier is the largest, serving the broadest segment of Whitefish's workforce gap.
| Tier | Share | ~Units | Who This Serves | Priced At | How It Stays Attainable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60% MFI | ~20% | 8 | Lower-income working households: service industry, entry-level healthcare, hospitality staff | 60% MFI | Deed Restricted 70-yr Ground Lease — silent second mortgage for subsidized ownership |
| 100% MFI | ~40% | 17 | Core workforce: skilled trades, teachers, mid-career professionals, municipal employees, dual-income families | 100% MFI | 70-yr Ground Lease — deed restricted on sale |
| Unrestricted | ~40% | 17 | Market-rate ownership; short-term rental permitted; visiting artist & performer residencies; festival surge capacity (UTBS & similar); flexible use — NVMS, GSOC & ATP | Market | 70-yr Ground Lease — STR permitted; finances the 60% MFI tier |
42 total units: 25 workforce-attainable (~60%), 17 market-rate (~40%). All 42 units are held under a 70-year renewable ground lease — the primary attainability mechanism — that runs with the land. Owners hold title to their home, not the land beneath it. All 25 workforce units carry a deed restriction on sale. The 60% MFI tier also utilizes silent second mortgages to support subsidized ownership. Pricing tiers are set against the HUD Median Family Income (MFI) for Flathead County, MT. The 17 market-rate units permit short-term rental use.
In a community land trust, residents purchase their home at a below-market price and pay a monthly ground lease to the land trust in lieu of a mortgage on the underlying land. The result is a dramatically lower total monthly cost compared to purchasing a comparable home at full market price — with a target purchase price of approximately $200,000.
Residents own their home — not the land, which remains with the trust permanently. All workforce units carry a deed restriction on sale. When a homeowner sells, a buyer purchases the home. Market-rate units sell at market price. Deed-restricted units sell at a CPI-adjusted price — the seller builds real equity as values rise with inflation. The land trust holds the land permanently. Each buyer receives title to the home and a new 70-year ground lease at closing. Ground leases run 70 years (Montana MCA maximum).
Haugen Colony is structured in three distinct financing layers — land, site, and buildings — each with its own logic. This separation keeps the project legible to regulators, lenders, and the public, and allows investment to be phased as the project progresses through permitting and approvals. The financing model is designed to be transparent and replicable.
Haugen Colony is in active pre-application development. The project has not yet been submitted to the City of Whitefish for formal review. The timeline below reflects the projected sequence of public approvals and milestones. Public input is welcome and expected at each public hearing stage.
This project is being developed in direct alignment with Vision Whitefish 2045 — the City's growth policy adopted by the Whitefish City Council on April 20, 2026. Throughout the extensive public engagement process that produced Vision Whitefish 2045, Whitefish residents repeatedly identified affordable and workforce housing as the community's top priority. Haugen Colony is a direct response to that expressed public will — brought forward by a Whitefish-based developer committed to a permanent, community-controlled solution.
The Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA / SB 382) explicitly prioritizes infill development served by existing utility infrastructure. Haugen Colony is surrounded by the City's water and sewer infrastructure on both its east and west boundaries, and sits within the City's planning boundary — the definition of an infrastructure-ready infill site under MLUPA's framework.
All timelines are preliminary and subject to change based on the City of Whitefish's review schedule and the outcome of public hearings. The project will be reviewed under applicable City of Whitefish procedures, public notice and hearing requirements, and zoning regulations, together with any state or agency environmental review requirements that may apply. Haugen Colony is being developed in direct alignment with Vision Whitefish 2045 — the City's growth policy adopted by the Whitefish City Council on April 20, 2026 — which identified expanded affordable housing supply as a recurring public priority throughout the community engagement process.
Workforce housing projects in resort communities face predictable opposition. We take those concerns seriously and believe this project's design addresses most of them directly. Below are the questions we hear most — answered as objectively as we can.
The Lake Park neighborhood was first platted in 1926. From the beginning, it has been a mixed-use urban neighborhood — multifamily housing, industrial uses, a grocery store, low-income cottage courts, and single-family homes side by side. Mountain Senior Apartments, a federally-funded LIHTC affordable housing development, is already in this neighborhood — and has been for decades. Haugen Colony continues that hundred-year tradition of a genuinely mixed community. Haugen Colony continues that mixed neighborhood pattern while adding permanent affordability, retained tree canopy, and a pedestrian-first internal layout.
All resident parking is at the perimeter of the site. Skogen Hollow — the internal community street — does not permit private resident vehicles. This means 42 households share perimeter parking access rather than generating internal through-traffic. The absence of an internal vehicle network is a deliberate design choice, not a constraint. The site is also served by the Class A mixed-use trail connecting State Park Road with downtown Whitefish — giving residents a practical, car-free route to work, school, and services.
~10 units per acre is considered low-density infill by most planning standards. Single-family suburban developments commonly achieve 4–6 units per acre; townhome communities often reach 12–18. Within 250 feet of Haugen Colony, there are existing duplexes on lots as small as 3,750 square feet — approximately 2.5 times more dense than this project. The star/Y cluster form is specifically designed to preserve existing tree canopy and avoid the clear-cut grading typical of conventional development. The site retains its forested character by design.
The research on community land trust developments and adjacent property values is consistently positive. A 2020 study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found that CLT developments do not depress adjacent property values — and in several markets, the stability and quality of CLT communities has a neutral or slightly positive effect on neighbors. The design quality and forested character of Haugen Colony are assets, not liabilities. Neighbors who want a say in the quality of finishes are welcome to contribute to the Community Design Fund — donations directly upgrade materials selection across the community.
The ground lease structure is the answer. The land trust sets the terms of the ground lease — including owner-occupancy requirements, CPI-adjusted resale pricing on deed-restricted units, and restrictions on STR use in all tiers except the unrestricted tier. An investor cannot purchase a ground lease home and convert it to a vacation rental; the lease prohibits it. This is one of the key structural advantages of a CLT over conventional deed restrictions.
Eight homes out of 42 — reserved for Whitefish's lower-income working households: the people who cook the food, care for the elderly, and keep the town running year-round. Every resident at Haugen Colony is a homeowner, not a renter. The ground lease requires owner-occupancy. These households have equity, an ownership stake, and the same interest in a well-maintained, beautiful community as any other homeowner on Skogen Hollow. There is no architectural distinction, no visible marker, no design concession that sets a 60% MFI home apart from any other home on the street. Neighbors who want a direct say in the quality of exterior finishes are welcome to contribute to the Community Design Fund — donations go directly toward premium natural wood and stone finishes across the below-market-rate homes.
The project has not yet been submitted for formal Planning Department review. When it is, there will be public notice, a Planning Board public hearing, and a City Council vote — all open to public comment. You can also reach out to the project directly (contact below) at any time. We believe this project is stronger for honest engagement with skeptics and opponents, not weaker.
Genuine permanence.
Residents own their homes; the land stays with the trust permanently. When a deed-restricted home is sold, a buyer purchases it at a CPI-adjusted price — real equity for the seller, real affordability for the next buyer. Market-rate units sell at market price. Each buyer receives a new 70-year ground lease at closing.
Smart, sensitive density.
42 homes on 4.49 acres at ~10 units/acre respects the Haugen Heights neighborhood's character. Star/Y clustering preserves tree canopy and the natural topography of Lion Mountain's base. This is not a clear-cut development.
A replicable model.
If Haugen Colony succeeds, the financing template — ground lease land trust + phased construction — becomes a repeatable playbook for closing Flathead Valley's workforce housing gap on comparable infill sites.
The right people, in the right place.
Teachers at Whitefish schools. Nurses at Logan Health. Ski patrol at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Firefighters. Municipal workers. These are the residents Haugen Colony is designed for — people whose daily work sustains the community, who currently cannot afford to live in it.
Private market construction.
Haugen Colony is privately developed and privately financed. Once built, the land trust self-sustains through ground leases. City and state programs may choose to invest in community infrastructure — EV charging, deed-restricted construction — independently; that is their prerogative. The project is not designed around it.
Mixed income by design.
Two workforce tiers and an unrestricted tier — all under ground lease — create a genuinely mixed community. The 40% unrestricted tier finances the deeply affordable tier and supports short-term artist and performer projects with North Valley Music School, Glacier Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and Alpine Theater Project.
A founding sponsor of Haugen Colony does something most philanthropy cannot: they put their name — or the name of someone they love — on an actual home. A specific address. A real front door. A family inside who owns it because someone made it possible.
Any home in Haugen Colony is eligible for founding sponsorship. A sponsor receives naming rights to a specific home: a founder's plaque at the entry, the home identified by name on the Skogen Hollow community site map, and recognition in HOA governing documents. Because the land trust holds in perpetuity, the name on that door will still be there when the third family moves in.
The project has not yet received formal approvals. This form is a non-binding expression of interest — it helps us understand who is waiting for housing like this, and it helps document real local demand for permanently attainable workforce homes in the Haugen Heights neighborhood. No commitment, no fees, no obligation.
Everyone who submits this form will be notified when the project reaches key milestones: Planning Board hearing, City Council vote, and when homes become available.
Whitefish's housing crisis is not going to resolve itself. Haugen Colony is one permanent, place-specific answer to a growing problem. Whether you want to advocate for it, contribute to it, or simply learn more — there is a role for you.
The project will go before the Whitefish Planning Board and City Council for public hearings. Testimony from teachers, healthcare workers, employers, and community members who understand the workforce housing gap carries real weight. Sign up to receive public hearing notices.
Contact to Stay Informed →Name a specific home on Skogen Hollow — a plaque on a real front door, a name on the community site map, recognition that renews with the land trust for every family who lives there. Or contribute to the Community Design Fund: upgrading natural wood and stone finishes across the below market rate homes — because workforce homes should be as well-finished as any other home in Whitefish.
Get Involved →Non-binding, no commitment. Expressions of interest help us demonstrate real demand to Whitefish's Planning Department and City Council — and ensure you receive updates when homes become available. Takes two minutes.
Express Interest in a Home →