Building Community

Building Community

We love the Northside and Westside neighborhoods and do what we can to help neighbors build a healthy, vibrant community of opportunity in which people of all ages and abilities can live, work, and play.

Building Power Through Community Organizing

At NMCDC, we are founded on the tenets of community-initiated action; it’s not our mandate to do for – but to act alongside community members who want to understand the forces that impact their lives and take action to improve their health and well-being. With the help of our full-time community organizer on staff, we support Northside and Westside neighbors in developing their skills as trained leaders, building stronger relationships and community power, and acting to make structural change and increase equity in our neighborhoods.

The NMCDC is a proud members of Common Good Missoula, a broad-based community organization in the IAF Northwest network.

Learn More!

Economic Development

While we focus a lot of energy on developing permanently-affordable housing, we know that the other side of the coin is individual and community access to economic opportunity and wealth. To create a place for neighborhood businesses and employment, NMCDC founded and manages the Burns Street Center in the Westside. Burns Street Center offers affordable rent to our tenants, a food hub for the Westside, jobs for neighbors, and a community center open to the public.

Tenants in Burns Street Center currently include: Burns Street Bistro, the Western-Montana Growers Cooperative, and Plant Perks. NMCDC’s office is also located here.

The Burns Street Center is also a community center for the Westside and available for rental at an affordable rate. Interested in renting the Burns Street Center?

BURNS ST. CENTER INFO

Engagement & Programs

Our community has historically been under-resourced, leaving some folks without access to basic programs providing childcare, social opportunity, and play. Alongside neighborhood leaders and volunteers, NMCDC offers programs to serve our community’s needs, including Missoula Outdoor Cinema, summertime youth programs, and our quarterly free community dinner.

VIEW PROGRAMS

Partnerships

NMCDC has worked with, incubated, and continues to support incredible organizations and efforts across the community! Check out our partners:

The Moon-Randolph Homestead:
Less than two miles from downtown Missoula, history and culture intertwine at an old ranch in the Rattlesnake foothills. The City of Missoula purchased the 470-acre Randolph property in 1996 to preserve open space for animals, plants and people.In 1998 the NMCDC sponsored a community campaign to preserve the homestead, creating the Hill and Homestead Preservation Coalition (HHPC).
Since 2000, the NMCDC has managed the homestead through a cooperative agreement with the City of Missoula Parks and Recreation Department. The Moon-Randolph Homestead is open to the public and hosts community events.

Project Westside Park:
NMCDC provides staff and fundraising support for the Project Westside Park capital campaign and redevelopment plan. Westside Park’s playground, built in 1998, has exceeded its life expectancy of 20 years and needs to be replaced within 9-12 months.
A park and playgrounds with improved visibility, modern play features for all abilities, and additional green space will meet the needs of this growing neighborhood and school

Testimonials

Testimonials

“Aging and retirement brought reality to our door. We could not afford to maintain, physically or monetarily, the home we were in. The Clark Fork Commons was the perfect melding of affordability and access to services and transportation as we hoped our vehicle would hold on for one more year. And my husband doesn’t have to climb ladders and clutch at eaves to clear roofs, or shovel snow. We are so thankful that Land Trusts and excellent organizations like the NMCDC can provide vibrant and multigenerational housing for people like us.”

Gayl Teichert and Ernie Franceschi
CLT Homeowners

“Without the North Missoula Community Development Corporation I believe the Moon Randolph Homestead in North Hills, the Westside Park Playground, and Northside Pedestrian Crossing would be very different places. Because of the strong leadership and support provided by NMCDC these three important neighborhood assets were preserved, developed, and continue to provide important benefits to the neighborhood. Parks and Recreation salutes NMCDC for enhancing residents’ lives and believing in public-nonprofit partnerships.”

Donna Gaukler
Director – Missoula Parks and Recreation

“At Kids Club, Maeve has had the opportunity to connect with kids she knows and to meet new kids in the hood. This is one of the few opportunities she’s had to be around kids (and adults) outside our home in 9 months. The small size and space feels safer than the other available opportunities. Most importantly, she really views Kids Club staff as safe and reliable adults. She went ahead on her own and reached out to you when she wanted help learning to Rollerblade. And she was willing to talk to you about her friendship struggles, which are really hard for her right now. For me, as a parent, it was invaluable for her to get to talk to someone else about this, to get another adult’s support and insight. Thank you!”

Gabrielle Sather-Olson
Westside Resident & Parent

“Missoula Food Bank & Community Center is so proud to partner with NMCDC. NMCDC is a critical neighborhood hub, building community through people-centric work. From Kids Club to Crew, NMCDC meets people where they are at, and works alongside the neighborhood to build needed change.”

Jessica Allred
Director of Development & Advocacy, Missoula Food Bank & Community Center

Support NMCDC’s work in the community!

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