Neighbors near an affordable housing development on Sioux Lane in the Billings Heights say they are frustrated by a two-year delay on a project that was supposed to bring 102 units of affordable housing to the area.
Home Front brought in modular pods from Bakken man camps two years ago for the LB Lofts development. Since then, neighbors say they have seen little progress.
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"There was an empty lot there, and then all of a sudden semi trucks with 2 to 3 of these little portable housing things started showing up," said Michael Gonzalez, who lives near the development.
Gonzalez says the delay has changed the feel of the neighborhood.
"The buildings and stuff aren't the best," Gonzalez said. "They're not like they're brand new or anything, but it has attracted different types of people into the neighborhood, so I've got to be a little bit more vigilant."
Fellow neighbor Wendy Saunders shares his concerns.
"Yeah, it's been there quite a while and it just looks like it's a mess there. I feel that it needs to be moved," Saunders said.
Others in the neighborhood also expressed concerns but did not want to go on camera.
They described the site as an eyesore, raised worries about property values, and said they have not received enough information about when the project will be completed.
Recently, boards were placed over the windows at the site.
Patti Webster, CEO of HomeFront, the housing authority overseeing the project, explained why before her Monday night Billings City Council update.
"The neighbors noticed that we boarded up the windows because kids kept throwing rocks and breaking the windows," Webster said.
Webster told the city council that the 200 modules brought in from the Bakken are part of the building materials for the 102-unit apartment complex.
She also said the original $18 million estimate has doubled, but that work with architects, construction firms, the city, and investors has made it possible to move forward.
"At every piece of this project, there's been a delay," Webster said. "Currently the biggest challenge that we just had to find a solution for it and we did that with our partners at home."
Webster said construction could begin possibly later this summer.
"After two years of delay, we are as frustrated as the community is that it's taken longer for us to get this project started than we intended," said Karissa Trujillo, executive director for Homeword, which is working with HomeFront on the project, expressed optimism.
"We actually have an investor who's ready to invest in the project, and so we're feeling a lot more confident now," Trujillo said.
For Gonzalez, the message to those overseeing the project is simple.
"Some resolution, you know, I understand people do stuff and they want to make the community better and they have all these building plans. Finish what you start," Gonzalez said.
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