Samaritan House gives tour of reduced-cost apartments under construction

As warm autumn sunlight poured through the ground-level windows of Samaritan House's forthcoming apartment building in Kalispell, Mont., Marney McCleary gestured up at the ceiling, where the Gypcrete flooring for the second-story units had already been installed.  

"I want you guys to note that for soundproofing, because there's gonna be a lot of children here," McCleary said.  

It's one of many features developer Rural Community Assistance Corporation is integrating into the 18-unit complex, designed for families and low-income earners, with two- and three-bedroom apartments.  

Donning white hard hats, attendees followed McCleary, senior project developer with the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, through the structure's wood-framed interior Oct. 20. The building sits just off Second Street West and east of South Meridian Road.  

While Swank Enterprises crews continued sawing wood outside, McCleary pointed to the vertical beams forming the bones of a future three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.  

"It's a very open floor plan. The bedrooms are private, but still, parents can always have the kids in their sightlines," she said.  

Large windows let in natural light, but limiters prevent children from opening them fully and falling through. In-unit washers and dryers will also let parents stay with their kids while doing laundry, McCleary said.  

Tour attendees then climbed a wide staircase to the second floor. The building's spacious entryways and hallways are designed to help residents who have experienced trauma feel comfortable, according to McCleary.  

Denver-based Shopworks Architecture, in partnership with LSW Architects, influenced much of that design. In 2022, the firms interviewed Samaritan House guests, residents and staff to gather input on what future campus development should look like.  

The all-electric building's energy efficiency is also a point of pride for those involved in the project. McCleary invited attendees to press their fingers on the rock wool insulation lining the building's exposed exterior.  

"It's really porous but it's really heavy. But it's bombproof, and it's fireproof. It cannot grow mold. Even when water tries to penetrate it, it doesn't," McCleary said.  

The building's roof is designed to eventually allow the installation of solar panels, though there isn't enough money now to pay for them, according to McCleary.  

While some materials are expensive, McCleary said it will save residents and Samaritan House money on energy costs in the long run.  

Flathead Electric Cooperative and Bonneville Power Administration also agreed to grant rebates and energy incentives totaling $200,000, McCleary said.  

The apartments are expected to open in late summer 2027 and will accommodate three to five people each. Eligible applicants for the reduced-cost apartments must earn between 30% and 50% of area median income. Households with or without children are eligible.  

In Flathead County, 30% of area median income is $33,000 annually for a family of four; Samaritan House said those served this year earned an average of about $28,000. 

Samaritan House will also offer a couple of market-rate apartments, Executive Director Cassidy Kipp said. 

To help push the project toward the finish line, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded Samaritan House a $2.6 million grant.  

Roughly $1.9 million of the award will go to construction. The remaining $700,000 will fund two years of rental assistance for nine households and support resident services, according to Kipp.  

Samaritan House is one of only 13 agencies nationwide to receive the funding, according to Kipp.  

The money boosted Samaritan House's capital campaign funding level from 83% to 94% of its $11.4 million goal.   

"We are elated that this is all taking place at this time," Kipp told attendees. 

The award follows record donations from the Whitefish Community Foundation's annual Great Fish Community Challenge, according to organization officials. 

The forthcoming apartment building is part of a broader expansion project expected to nearly double the campus's capacity.  

Samaritan House's emergency shelter has been closed for renovations since July. Kipp said she hopes to reopen its doors before Thanksgiving, once construction wraps up and staff is hired.  

"It's a heck of a process to do construction cleanup and to move everything back in," Kipp said. "We're at a spot right now where we're kind of on hold until they wrap up construction because they're installing the floors."

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Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected].

    Justin McIntyre, project superintendent with Swank Enterprises, and Marney McCleary, senior project developer with the Rural Community Assistance Program, give a tour of the Samaritan House "Building Stability" affordable housing project in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Marney McCleary, senior project developer with the Rural Community Assistance Program, shows one of the three-bedroom units inside the Samaritan House "Building Stability" affordable housing project in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    People tour one of the three-bedroom units inside the Samaritan House "Building Stability" affordable housing project in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Eric Gondeck, a carpenter with Swank Enterprises, cuts drip edges for the roof of the Samaritan House "Building Stability" affordable housing project in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider