Small homes building company opening in Butte wants to help state s affordable housing crisis
Opening in Butteâs Montana Connections Park this summer
John Emeigh
and last updated 2021-05-05 22:14:27-04
BUTTE â A new company opening in Butte that creates small, factory-built homes hopes to be part of the solution to Montanaâs growing affordable housing problem.
âSo we are trying to bring something to market that isnât there and create some housing equity for people that are being shut out of the housing market and out of the rental market right now,â said Foothold Co-founder Hannah Van Wetter.
Photo by Jim Larson
“I think Butte is going to be the place to be and a very, very special place, and it is already in my mind a special community, and we are set for some amazing, amazing things,” said Karen Byrnes in a conversation about all the recent purchases of quite a few of Butte’s historic buildings.
Karen Byrnes is the Community Development Director for Butte-Silver Bow. She was born and raised here and has an intrinsic passion for this beautifully unique city. She attended local schools and graduated from Butte High in 1990. Her college career took her to Montana State University for one quarter but then headed right back to Butte. “I got my degree from Montana Technological University in business,” said Karen. She later went back to school and in 2000 earned her master’s degree in business administration.