• "Telling people to leave with nowhere to go will not solve the issues we face the way many hope, which is why we must address this both in the short term and in the long term. We can help those who want help and provide guidance and structure for those who choose not to accept the help of our community."

  • I stress the need for compassion, recognizing that those experiencing houselessness are not a monolithic group—many are employed, have families, and have simply faced economic hardship. As we look for solutions, I believe we must balance compassion for the unhoused with the need to keep our parks and public spaces accessible and safe for all residents.
  • Pragmatic and compassionate, focused on immediate crisis management, long-term housing solutions, and maintaining public safety and accessibility. 

  • Launch of Johnson Street Housing Sprint: A focused, short-term initiative to connect shelter residents with permanent housing and vital support services.

  • Comprehensive Resident Support:

    • Help with rental applications and securing ID documents

    • Referrals for medical and substance use treatment

    • Transportation assistance

    • Housing-focused case management

  • Relocation Assistance: Offered when appropriate to support successful transitions out of the shelter.

  • Strong Community Partnerships: Collaboration with local service providers to ensure residents receive necessary wraparound support.

  • Transition to Long-Term Solutions: Closure of the Johnson Street Temporary Emergency Shelter aligns with the city’s strategy to prioritize stable, long-term housing—not a retreat, but a step forward.

  • Supported fully funding the Mobile Response Team.

 

For too long, inaction around this crisis has shifted the conversation to the extremes, pitting well-intentioned residents with differing views and understandings of the situation against each other. It does not have to be this way. It is possible to find solutions that are compassionate and focus on propping up the successes we are already having as a community while assuring our parks and trails stay accessible for all. It is possible to want the best for our unhoused while having reasonable concerns about needles being found in parks and staff spending hundreds of hours on clean-ups only to have the issue re-established in hours. Telling people to leave with nowhere to go will not solve the issues we face the way many hope, which is why we must address this both in the short term and in the long term. We can help those who want help and provide guidance and structure for those who choose not to accept the help of our community. 

Short Term Crisis Management

  • Continue to support and enhance the Temporary Safe Outdoor Space, a public-private partnership that has proven successful in assisting individuals to utilize available resources to work their way out of homelessness and into permanent housing situations. Staff help residents to obtain IDs, documents, and potentially care aimed at assisting in working towards permanent housing and employment. 
  • Housing First Approach: a "Housing First" strategy, which prioritizes creating permanent housing opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness is a critical first step. By securing stable housing for vulnerable individuals, Missoula can create a foundation for their overall well-being.
  • Collaborative partnerships emphasize the significance of cooperation and collaboration among local government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and the business community. By fostering meaningful partnerships and leveraging available resources, Missoula can maximize its capacity to address the homeless encampment issue effectively.
  • Support the opening of 30 transitional housing units at the Blue Herron Navigation Center facilitating access to vital services such as healthcare, mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and job training programs.

Long-Term Solutions and Strategies

To prevent this crisis from reappearing every year, we must focus on long-term strategies that focus on housing, job skills and development, and personal accountability. A study on the investment of public funds in Denver to assist with the houselessness issue estimated the cost per unhoused individual to be between $42,000-$104,000 annually. No such study exists in Missoula. However, between public and non-profit efforts, as well as costs to businesses and private landlords in cleanup and security, there is little doubt the costs to try and manage this issue are significant. Rather than spending exorbitantly each year to triage issues, we need to focus on ways to change the outcomes. 

  • Create housing opportunities for everyone in Missoula. Permanently affordable housing should continue to receive support from the City, but Missoula should focus on expanding upon our strengths in these areas with more projects like Trinity and Villagio. 
  • Encourage housing partnerships with government and employers (MCPS, City, County, University) to create employee housing for entry-level employees to build a foundation to pursue home ownership, making recruitment and retention easier, and alleviating pressure on the overall housing market. 
  • Work with Municipal and District Courts to identify gaps in mental health and substance abuse resources. Facilitate advocacy to state and federal levels with data around these issues.
  • Begin the early phase of a capital campaign to raise funds to support the construction of the chosen long-term solution or solutions. 

For those looking for ways to help, they can donate to the Housing Solutions Fund at the United Way of Missoula County: https://missoulaunitedway.org/housing-solutions-fund  Or join the Housing Advocate Network at Missoula Interfaith Collaborative: http://micmt.org/housing-advocate-network/