Morning Star Community originally opened in 1973 and is now a 41-home, resident-owned manufactured home community.
But that transition didn’t happen overnight. We formed the Morning Star Community, Inc. and started on the path to resident-ownership in 2016. That’s when, with the help of NeighborWorks Montana and ROC USA, LLC, we purchased and took control of our community on June 7, 2017.
Now, the resident-owned community (ROC) is not only a successful business, but also a thriving neighborhood.
The process of the resident-owned community buying the land beneath our neighborhood brought this community closer together. Not only do we know far more of our neighbors than ever before, but we look out for one another, too. And with no outside landlord to report to, we’re the envy of other nearby manufactured home communities.
Our Member households elect our Board of Directors, which works with a property management firm and also appoints various volunteer committees to help with special projects, celebrations, community improvements and more. The Board submits a budget every year, and the entire Membership votes on it and any changes to the rent before the budget becomes official. We’re running the business that is our community on our terms, by our rules, for the betterment of ourselves and our neighbors.
Morning Star is a well-established community in Kalispell, Mont., for people who enjoy convenient access to the city, and also want to be close to an abundance of outdoor activities. We are located just one mile from downtown Kalispell and 35 miles from the gates of Glacier National Park. Morning Star is an ideal spot for adventure lovers with Blacktail and White Fish Mountain Ski Resorts under an hour’s drive. Flathead Lake is just eight miles from our community. Known for fishing, boating, swimming and water skiing, this beautiful lake is easy to get to from Morning Star. The area around Flathead Lake boasts the ideal soil and climate for growing cherries, and in the summer months cherries are easily found are vendors along the lake and at the Kalispell Farmers Market.
Flathead Valley Community College is a 15-minute drive from Morning Star and offers over 100 academic programs to choose from right in our backyard. Five minutes from a dog park, we are a family and pet friendly community with an ideal location. Highway 93 South is nearby, along with the Highway 93 Bypass. Each August, the Flathead County Fairgrounds hosts the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo right here in Kalispell. Summer music festivals and swimming and boating on Flathead Lake are just a few of the local activities at our fingertips.
Morning Star is a well-established community for people who enjoy a welcoming neighborhood in an ideal location.
Ask anyone who lives in Morning Star, and we’re sure they’ll tell you it’s a little slice of heaven.