Affordable Housing Development

The City manages the Affordable Housing Development Program to support the development of affordable housing for low-income households. This program is recommended by City staff for Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership program funding each year. The application for the overall program is reviewed by the Community Development Board and then recommendations are made to the City Council to fund the program.

New Projects - Application & Requirements

Affordable Housing Development Program applications are accepted year-round from organizations interested in affordable housing development including developers, owners, sponsors, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and third-party contractors. First priority status is offered to organizations qualifying as a Community Housing Development Organization.

How to become a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO)

A CHDO is a private nonprofit organization certified by the HOME program to perform housing-related activities involving ownership, sponsorship and development. The City is required to dedicate at least ten percent of new HOME allocations to CHDOs. Therefore, applications submitted by CHDOs are offered priority status. Each CHDO must annually demonstrate staff capacity and development experience in order to maintain CHDO status. Organizations interested in becoming a CHDO or maintaining annual CHDO certification must complete an application and submit accompanying documents to: 

 City of Billings - Community Development Division
 Attention: Dina Harmon
 2825 3rd Avenue North, Suite 610
 Billings, MT 59101

Prior to completing an application, please review the CHDO Survivor Kit in order to assess the organization's readiness to become or remain a CHDO. Applications submitted by a CHDO will receive first priority.

Registration Requirements

Developers and contractors working in housing programs must register with the City as a vendor, obtain a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and register with the System for Award Management: 

  • City: The vendor packet includes the Vendor/Contractor Registration Application, a vendor information form, and a W-9 form.
  • Unique Entity ID (UEI) Registration: All contractors must acquire a UEI number through the federal government's System for Award Management (SAM). You can visit the SAM website at https://sam.gov/content/home to register. The process is free. Please refer to this fact sheet for UEI details.
  • SAM Registration: Contractors are required to register with the SAM. The process involves creating an Individual Account and then registering as a new entity. Please visit the SAM.gov website for details or contact the Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAC) for assistance at 406.869.8410. PTAC assistance is free.