New Apartment Complex Planned Near Huffine and Cottonwood in BZN
The biggest question is, will this be reasonable or insane for the monthly rate?
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle announced a new apartment complex is planned by developers off of Huffine Lane and Cottonwood Road and could potentially add over 400 rental units. This new development will also include retail spaces and should be done by 2023.
We have one question though, is this apartment complex going to help the housing problem here in the Gallatin Valley or make it worse? Yes, adding new apartments sounds like a really great idea but if they are going to charge a crazy amount of money a month to live there? It might not be worth it.
We know that whether you are looking to buy a house, condo, townhome, or looking to rent, the prices that some places are charging are outrageous. Some rental spaces are charging over $2,000/month for less than 900 square feet and folks wonder why there is a workforce shortage in the Gallatin Valley. Maybe one of the reasons why is because no one can afford to live here.
When I lived in Boise, Idaho, my coworker and I had two bedrooms. one bath apartment that was 10 minutes from downtown walking and walking distance to work and we had a pool and a gym at our complex. Our monthly rate? $700, that's total. So I was paying $350/month. Yeah, it was cheap and nice.
The problem is here in Bozeman, there are a lot of rental properties that are exquisite but they are charging way too much. The pricing of rentals and housing has forced people in the service industry to move out of the area to afford a place to live. As much as I love seeing businesses raising their hourly wage, it's still not enough for folks to afford to live here and that is saying something.
Bozeman needs to figure this problem out before it becomes a crisis.
For more details on the apartment complex, check out the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.