Helena United Way gets $500,000 donation toward housing project

The United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area has received a $500,000 anonymous donation for the nonprofit’s Helena Inn housing project.

The nonprofit on Wednesday announced the donation toward the purchase and renovation of the Helena Inn, 2300 N. Oakes St., to create permanent supportive housing units. 

Jeff Buscher, the United Way’s community impact director, said the massive donation had uplifted the project’s hefty fundraising goals.

“It gives us some momentum,” Buscher said. “And it gives us the ability to offer matching funds for example; it gives us some credibility with grantors. It’s a tremendous feeling. It’s like a jumpstart to this process.”

The donation came a week after the nonprofit sought funding for a $50,000 deposit on the purchase of the building, a payment that needed to be made by April 12. From that plea, United Way said it received about $70,000. 

In total, United Way has raised more than $600,000 from cash and grants for the $5 million housing project.  

The hotel will be renovated into a 48-unit, permanent supportive housing complex that will be available for those in the Helena area who have federal housing vouchers. Although the project won’t be considered a shelter, there will be on-site help to provide tenants with mental health, addiction and housing navigation services. 

If the fundraising goals are met, United Way officials said they hope to open the building this fall. 

Buscher said the project can significantly slow Helena’s surging housing crisis. 

“If we can get a large number of those folks into permanent supportive housing,” he said, “that makes kind of a ripple effect to the other agencies working with our unsheltered population.”

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