Clearwater Helps Twin Willows Become a Resident-Owned Community

For 55 households in Kalispell, homeownership came with uncertainty because while residents of Twin Acres and Willow Glen owned their manufactured homes, they didn’t own the land beneath them.

Now, those residents own the land, too.

After months of organizing, residents of the two manufactured home communities came together to form a cooperative and purchase the six parcels that make up their neighborhood. The two communities are now Twin Willows, the Flathead Valley’s fifth resident-owned community.

The transition gives residents greater control over their neighborhood while helping preserve an important source of affordable housing in the Flathead Valley.

Making a purchase of this size possible requires collaboration and creative financing.
Clearwater Credit Union worked alongside NeighborWorks Montana and the Montana Board of Investments to help Twin Willows residents secure the financing needed to purchase their community.

Through the Montana Board of Investments’ Resident-Owned Community program, Clearwater participated in a loan designed to provide the cooperative with access to lower-interest financing. Clearwater also provided a second loan directly to help complete the purchase, bringing Clearwater’s total loan commitment to more than $1 million.

Together, Clearwater and the Montana Board of Investments provided the primary acquisition financing for the project, with additional support from community partners.
For Clearwater, partnerships like this are an important part of finding solutions to Montana’s housing challenges. Traditional financing doesn’t always fit the needs of manufactured homeowners or resident-owned communities. By working with organizations that share a commitment to housing stability, we can find new ways to put affordable ownership within reach.

Twin Willows demonstrates what’s possible when residents, nonprofits, and mission-driven financial partners work together towards a shared goal.

Clearwater is proud to partner with NeighborWorks Montana and the Montana Board of Investments to support the residents of Twin Willows as they take ownership of their community and their future.

Addressing Montana’s housing challenges isn’t only about building new homes. It’s also about protecting the affordable homes and communities that are already here and finding creative ways to help the people who call them home stay there for years to come.