Dilapidated homes transformed into affordable rentals

A once blighted corner of the Railway District is now home for two Whitefish families.

The Whitefish Housing Authority recently completed renovations on the historic shotgun shacks on East First Street. The homes were transformed from dilapidated and “scary” eyesores to cozy and cute fixtures of the mixed use neighborhood.

BNSF Railway donated the homes to the housing authority in 2012. The city of Whitefish put $85,000 in tax-increment funds toward the renovation project.

Housing authority director Lori Collins said it was the right decision to renovate the homes rather than tear them down and build new.

“100 percent it was the right decision,” she said. “The neighbors love them and the renters love them. We kept two historic houses that are now homes for people who live and work here. Newer is not always better.”

Renovations included new foundations, new electrical and plumbing, new floors and windows, new appliances and a fresh coat of paint inside and out. One of the homes had an entire wall rebuilt.

“This was more than a Band-Aid, it was a total re-do,” Collins said.

Artisan Construction completed the work, donating much of their time to the project, along with sub-contractors Muonio Mechanical and Guardian Electric.

“We tried to use this project as a way to give back,” Artisan owner Tom Nixon said. “We don’t make much money on it. The subs went the extra mile, too.”

Nixon said the homes were in “pretty rough shape” when work began.

“They hadn’t been lived in for several years,” he said. “We wanted to transform them from a hobo village to something the Whitefish Housing Authority could be proud of.”

The two homes along with another larger home on O’Brien Avenue donated by BNSF serve as the only affordable rental properties managed by the housing authority, other than the Mountain View Manor.

Collins said there is a waiting list for affordable rentals in Whitefish and that the remolded homes were filled up before they were even finished.

“We never even advertised for them,” she said. “There is a huge waiting list for affordable rentals. There’s a huge need in Whitefish.”

The shotgun homes are one bedroom and one bath and rent for $500 per month. Renters must be income qualified.