Habitat thanks

On behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley, I would like to express my appreciation to the Whitefish City Council, which voted Monday night to reduce by reimbursement the permit and impact fees required for Habitat's summer Whitefish build.

In the trying economic times the city of Whitefish and certainly much of the nation finds itself, many believe spending cutbacks must rank first priority. While that is true, it is also the time to act on behalf of those most in need in our community. In other words, the same daunting economic circumstances that encourage us to reign in our expenses actually also demand that we give back.

In the Flathead Valley, there are more than 1,000 families currently living in substandard housing. This means that in our own community, there are hard-working families with full-time jobs raising their children in substandard conditions without the hope of ever reaching the goal of homeownership.

These families — including teachers, grocery store employees, private nurses, medical records technicians, and local banks' customer service representatives — constantly weigh their ability to afford groceries versus rental payments, worry what damage their rental unit's black mold problem has on their family's health, and lose time with impressionable children as they work overtime to ensure a roof over their heads.

Thanks to partnership with Habitat that the city of Whitefish demonstrated on Monday, the Flathead Valley community can continue to work on eliminating substandard housing.

As a Whitefish resident myself, I am proud of our local government for taking the high road in challenging economic times. After all, a community is only as strong as the health and well-being of its most underserved individuals.

Thank you, Whitefish City Council, for again putting your community values into action.

Dave Williams

President, board of directors

Habitat for Humanity Flathead Valley