National Park Foundation Awards $6.9 Million to Catalyze Workforce Housing Solutions Across the National Park System

Grants will advance local housing solutions for rangers, staff, volunteers, and partners in 17 national parks

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation (NPF) announced $6.9 million in grants to accelerate and expand workforce housing solutions across 17 national parks. The funding will empower parks and park partners to advance near-term, direct investment projects and long-term project planning to increase housing options for the rangers, staff, volunteers, and partners who care for America's national parks and help welcome millions of visitors each year.

Limited availability of accessible, affordable, quality housing is one of the most pressing needs across the National Park System. Shortages can hamper recruitment and retention, strain park operations, and make it harder to protect parks and provide the best possible visitor experience.

The exact needs vary by community and require flexible, location-specific solutions, which is why NPF's approach focuses on fortifying and accelerating the efforts of local park partners who know their parks and communities best.

About $5 million of this year's funding will go to nine grantees for timely construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation projects that will add housing for more than 50 rangers, staff, volunteers, and partners, while the remaining funds will support advanced planning and design of future housing projects. Examples of projects that received funding this year include:

• The Human Resource Development Council District will reserve eight homes in a new housing development in Gardiner, Montana, near Yellowstone National Park for purchase by NPS employees. The homes will remain available exclusively to NPS employees through the initial sale and all subsequent resales for the next 75 years to ensure long-term affordability and establish a model for home ownership for NPS employees.
• Friends of Little River Canyon will kick off the design phase of three duplex units for seasonal and permanent employees at Little River Canyon National Preserve. This includes the site survey, geotechnical investigation, civil and septic design, and full architectural and engineering design for prefabricated units.
• Redwood Parks Conservancy will work with the Yurok Tribe Construction Company – a firm that is owned by a local Tribe and has strong experience with complex projects in the region's parks – to construct a dormitory at Redwood National Park for seasonal employees and volunteers.
• Iron Horse Society will help Steamtown National Historic Site assess the feasibility of three approaches to expand workforce housing: community-based units, adaptive reuse of historic rail cars as seasonal micro-housing, and conversion of an existing building on-site.
• Dunes Learning Center will repair and renovate existing, in-park housing for seasonal staff at Indiana Dunes National Park and purchase housing in the community needed for partners.

View the full list of 2026 grant recipients here.

This year's investment reflects NPF's continued commitment to identify, support, and deliver workforce housing solutions for the National Park Service. Last year, NPF awarded more than $5.7 million in grants to support 12 projects – six focused on near-term construction and acquisition, and six focused on long-term project planning – and added housing for more than 65 park rangers, staff, volunteers, and partners. Previously, NPF also contributed to individual projects, like the ongoing construction of 70 modular housing units for rangers at Yellowstone National Park and new housing for seasonal employees at Acadia National Park.

"Every national park depends on dedicated, skilled people to care for these places and create meaningful experiences for millions of visitors each year. Ensuring they have access to quality, affordable housing is one of the most meaningful ways we can strengthen the park workforce and strengthen parks for the future," said NPF President and CEO Jeff Reinbold. "The National Park Foundation is proud to invest in locally driven housing solutions that help parks recruit, retain, and support the people who make every visit possible."

NPF's housing grants are made possible by the generous support of partners and donors, including Wells Fargo, the Malott Family Foundation, Lori and Rick Fernandes, Lincoln Robinson, Wade Tregaskis, and many more.

About the National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation (NPF) works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at nationalparks.org and follow NPF on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

SOURCE National Park Foundation