First residents move into state workforce housing in Deer Lodge

• Carolynn Stocker
• August 05 2025

The first residents of Pintler Meadows, state employee workforce housing in Deer Lodge, received the keys to their new townhouses last week.

Kenneth and Stephanie Erb, both correctional officers at Montana State Prison, were excited to exchange the camper they have been living in since moving to Montana from Florida seven months ago, for their new accommodations.

“The department has been so welcoming and made us feel like we belong here from the start,” Stephanie Erb said. “Moving into the townhome still feels like a dream and I will forever be grateful to the state of Montana and the Montana Department of Corrections to have made this possible.”

Montana legislators allocated funding in the 2023 session through the Montana Community Reinvestment Plan Act to “begin to address housing needs and offer a regional, community-based solution to creating affordable, attainable workforce housing infrastructure in the state.”

The Montana Board of Investments is overseeing the construction of the Pintler Meadows property which is located within a 30-mile radius of MSP and Montana State Hospital. Seventy percent of the 28 units will be used for MSP employees and 30% for Montana State Hospital employees. Seven units are available for occupancy.

“The availability of affordable housing for employees at MSP, our largest secure facility, has been a struggle for the DOC in terms of recruitment and retention,” said DOC Director Brian Gootkin. “We appreciate this investment by Governor Gianforte and Montana legislators in the folks who perform these critical jobs. The looks on these people’s faces when they received their keys was priceless.”

State workers who qualify for housing in Pintler Meadows must have a household income of less than $110,000; will spend no more than 30% of their monthly household income on housing if awarded; or are currently unhoused. Occupants were selected earlier this year through a lottery.

The additional bonus is that tenants who continue employment with Montana State Prison until the end of their five-year lease will be eligible for downpayment assistance toward the purchase of a new home. The source of the downpayment is their rent paid throughout their tenancy at Pintler Meadows.

For more information, visit investmentmt.com/workforce-housing.