Memorandum
REPORT TO:
City Commission
FROM:
Joey Morrison, Mayor
SUBJECT:
Bozeman Housing Affordability Civic Dialogue Final Results and Proposed Workplan
MEETING DATE:
September 15, 2026
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
Listen to presentation
STRATEGIC PLAN:
BACKGROUND:
The City of Bozeman's Strategic Plan (Goal 4.5, Housing and Transportation Choices) calls for a wide variety of actions to expand sustainable, lasting, and attainable housing options for residents and the local workforce.
Civic Dialogues — an independent, nonpartisan civic-engagement platform powered by Change.org — partnered with the Mayor's office to ask residents what would improve Bozeman. In an open online input phase, residents submitted and voted on ideas: 28,990 votes on 193 ideas. Using statistical analysis, we identified the most broadly supported “bridging” ideas — those that unite residents across political and demographic lines rather than divide them. The most broadly supported topic was housing affordability.
A representative panel of Bozeman residents then took part in a facilitated civic dialogue, working through housing policy options with briefing materials highlighting the pros and cons of each option to identify common-ground policies the City could pursue. The most broadly supported results were compiled into policy recommendations and a proposed workplan. Full results and the final report are online: browse all the ideas at https://civic.changedialogues.org/bozeman/ideas/, or read the final report here https://www.civicdialogues.org/bozeman.
A representative of Change.org will present the final results and the proposed workplan of prioritized policies (see attached presentation and report). Where residents' recommendations align with City and Commission priorities, Change.org can support the City at no cost, with researching, drafting policy, and building prototypes staff can react to.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:
None.
ALTERNATIVES:
None
FISCAL EFFECTS:
None. There is no direct cost to the City to participate. Any items requiring funding would return to the Commission for consideration.