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6/20/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
The ‘housing sprint’ highlights barriers to housing, lessons to take forward
When “Jane” attended one of the events held at the Johnson Street shelter in April, city housing staff and volunteers found she had one large barrier to an otherwise strong path to housing — $7,000 due in back rent.
Tenancy support staff with Partnership Health Center helped get the arrears down to $4,800, which were paid off using money raised for the housing sprint fund, Emily Armstrong, the city’s houseless programs manager, told the Missoula City Council on Wednesday.
“Jane” signed a lease one week ago, and is one of 17 people who had secured housing as part of the city’s effort to permanently house as many Johnson Street shelter residents as possible before closing it in August. About four or five more people were waiting to sign a lease or pay a deposit and have likely finished those last steps this week, Armstrong said. Of the 17, nine found housing in Missoula, three moved to other communities, four reunited with friends or family and one entered a skilled nursing facility.
Of the 148 people on the housing sprint list, 99 are eligible for the housing sprint funds, as they stayed at the shelter for at least one night between Jan. 1 and March 31, Armstrong said. Those not eligible for funding can still work with staff and volunteers to find housing or connect with other services at the events on Mondays and Wednesdays, she said.
To date, the city has spent $35,750 of housing sprint funds on 63 individuals for things like identification documents, rental or utility arrears, phone cards, gas, rental applications, deposits, rental assistance and moving costs, Armstrong said.
Armstrong said she would have liked to see more money spent than has been so far and noted there is an opportunity to think creatively about how to use the funds. The city is encouraging service providers to check the list of people eligible for the housing sprint funds and let them know it is available, she said.
While the department can’t sustain the housing sprint beyond August because of the additional workload, it can incorporate “system learnings” discovered through the process, Armstrong said.
The light-touch case management provided at the recent events could help fill the statewide gap in case management services, Armstrong said. Many people benefit from having a partner to listen to their progress and collaborate with on next steps, she said.
“It’s a big insight as we recognize the large gaps that exist in our system and what might be possible to address those locally,” Armstrong said. “For others, having the accountability and someone to continually help navigate and offer direction is also very helpful.”
The housing sprint has also highlighted the lack of housing availability for people on a fixed income between $800 and $1,100, Armstrong said. Since 2020, the maximum social security benefit has fallen short of the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Missoula, according to data provided by the Missoula Organization of Realtors.
“There are a lot of people who have income, they have income between $800 and $1,100 that’s reliable, but there is not a rental in the community that they can sustain at that rate,” Armstrong said. “There are plenty of people who are willing to rent at 50%, 60%, 70% of their income to make it work because that’s better than being unhoused. But it’s simply not possible to rent at 100% of your income and sustain it.”
The Medicaid spend-down program is also a common barrier to affording housing, Armstrong said. Residents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid can “spend down” their income on medical expenses to meet a certain threshold. However, that leaves limited funding for other expenses like rent, Armstrong said.
“These system barriers are well known to people who are working to find housing solutions every day,” she said. “It’s important to recognize where housing problem solving … plays a role, and it is in the individual day-by-day housing problem conversations and experiences with folks on the ground. But it’s on our local, state and national communities to see and acknowledge these barriers and also commit to this housing-first solution and approaches by engaging in housing problem solving at the policy level in order to clear some of these barriers for some of the individuals in our community and our state.”
The city is also reducing capacity at the Johnson Street shelter so that when it closes at the end of August, 160 people will not abruptly need a place to go, Armstrong said. The current nightly census at the shelter is between 70 and 90 people, and the cap for June is 110, she said.
The Poverello Center, which operates the shelter, implemented a lottery system in mid-May to determine who gets beds if capacity is reached, she said. So far, shelter staff have not had to turn anyone away, Armstrong said. The shelter capacity will be capped at 70 people in July and 30 people in August.
Public Notice
In mid-July, the Missoula City Council will hear the appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s March decision to deny the demolition permit for the Old Post Hospital at Fort Missoula.
In 2023, the developers and owners of the site, Ken and Max Wolf, proposed building townhomes and commercial buildings adjacent to the hospital and using the revenue to rehabilitate the historic building, the Missoulian previously reported. The commission denied that permit, and the city council upheld the decision.
Early last year, the developers announced their decision to apply for a demolition permit. Staff agreed with the developers’ application and recommended approving the permit, given the costs of restoring the building. In their March denial, commission members cited city code that says property owners cannot demolish a historic building because they neglected the structure. The developers argued there was no proof the building was further damaged since they bought it in 2018.
The public can comment during the hearing at the council’s July 14 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 140 W. Pine St.
Following Up
The Transform Brooks-Connect Midtown study presented last week recommends a side-running bus lane for rapid transit service along the Brooks Street corridor, along with various pedestrian and road improvements.
Missoula launched the study, funded by a $847,000 federal grant, in 2023 to develop improvements along the two-mile stretch between Mount Avenue and Reserve Street. The study is part of an effort to encourage development and address safety concerns along the Brooks Street corridor.
The study compared adding a side-running bus lane with adding a center-running bus lane and found the first option provides the same benefits at a lower cost, said Chris Proud, project manager with design firm HRD. The study proposes a rapid bus route with 10 stops from the downtown transfer center along Orange Street/Stephens Avenue and Brooks ending at a potential transfer station at the Southgate Triangle property owned by the city. The rapid route would differ from a regular bus route in that it would get priority at traffic signals, have stops designed for quick and easy boarding and provide real-time information on arrival times, Proud said.
The plan’s concept design includes sidewalk improvements and landscaping between the sidewalk and street that can also provide snow storage and pedestrian crossings.
The study gives the city and Mountain Line a “significant template” to work toward as the transit service works to expand capacity and the city works on economic development along the Brooks Street corridor, said Annette Marchesseault, a Missoula Redevelopment Agency project manager.
Overall, the Brooks Street project will cost an estimated $75 to $120 million and require federal funding, Proud said. The city will get community feedback on the plan and wait for clarity about federal funding availability before seeking grants, Marchesseault said. Some of the smaller improvements, like adding pedestrian crossings, may be included in other projects along Brooks as opportunities arise, she said.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
On Tuesday, the Missoula County commissioners accepted the ACLU of Montana’s offer to represent the county pro bono in the “bathroom bill” case. The commissioners on June 3 decided to join the lawsuit challenging House Bill 121, which segregates public bathroom use by sex. The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU of Montana and Legal Voice. When the county discussed joining the lawsuit with the ACLU, the organization offered to represent the county pro bono and take the county on as a plaintiff, said Brian West, the county’s chief civil deputy county attorney. The county would only have to pay for sanctions or fees, which are unlikely, West said. Joining the existing litigation and working with the ACLU and Legal Voice is likely the most effective way to represent the county’s interest in the case, he said.
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency board on June 12 approved a developer’s request of up to $107,225 in tax increment financing to construct a $4.7 million, 22-unit apartment building in the River Road neighborhood. The TIF money will be used to tear down the single-family home at 350 N. Washburn St., excavate debris, replace soil and for right-of-way landscaping. If the total tops $100,000, the developer, Adam Hertz, will contribute 10% to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Based on the new expected tax revenue, the developer should pay back the TIF money in just over three years. The apartments will range from 540 to 1,100 square feet, and rent is expected to be $1,300 to $2,300, depending on unit size. Site preparation should begin this month, and construction is expected to wrap up in June 2026.
The Missoula City Council is on track to adopt the new Parks, Recreation, Open Space, Trails 2040 Master Plan on Monday. The 362-page plan outlines the community’s priorities for parks and recreation over the next 15 years and provides a “roadmap” for future investment and priorities, according to the department. Over 20 months, the department gathered public input on residents’ values, such as housing, walkability, sustainability, clean air and water and access to affordable programs and amenities. The plan lists several recommendations to meet those goals, including improving access to parks, inclusive programming, river corridor management and investing in the urban forest. The city council will vote to adopt the plan during its meeting at 6 p.m. Monday.
Downtown street closures for the Missoula Pride parade and celebration begin Friday afternoon and continue through Saturday night. Starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, Main Street from Ryman Street to Orange Street will be closed. Businesses on Woody Street will be accessible by vehicle via Broadway and alley entrances. Businesses on Main will be accessible by foot and bicycle. Starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Main Street from Higgins Avenue to Orange, Ryman from Front Street to Broadway and Woody from Main to Broadway will be closed. Vehicles not moved in time will be towed to the West Front parking lot. The parade starts at noon Saturday, and the downtown block party runs from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. A full schedule of events is available online.
Residents looking for information on how to prepare their homes for wildfire and heat can attend a free workshop on June 27. The event, held by Climate Smart Missoula, the county’s Home Upgrade Hub and Office of Emergency Management, will include a presentation on how to get homes ready for hotter and drier summers. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Doors open at 8:15 a.m., and the presentation begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a networking fair and garden-wise tour. The workshop will take place at the Balsamroot Room of the G.W. Marks Exploration Center, 1075 South Ave. W. Those interested can RSVP online.
Happenings
Thousands of runners will hit the streets of Missoula next weekend, June 27-29, for the Missoula Marathon, which is put on by the nonprofit Run Wild Missoula.
A runners expo, which includes vendors and food trucks, will be held at Caras Park from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Runners can pick up their race packets at the expo. A free beer run at 6 p.m. Friday starts and ends at Caras Park, where there will be live entertainment and free beer from Big Sky Brewing for finishers over 21 years old.
The Tony Banovich 5k starts at 8 a.m. Saturday on Higgins Avenue, just north of the Beartracks Bridge. The non-competitive, 1.2-mile kids’ marathon kicks off at 10 a.m. in front of the Boone and Crockett Club.
Sunday includes the marathon and half-marathon. The marathon starts at 6 a.m. in Frenchtown and ends just north of the Beartracks Bridge on Higgins Avenue downtown. The half marathon starts at 7 a.m. at Peak Health and Wellness on Blue Mountain Road and takes a similar route through town. The course maps are available online.
Organizers encourage residents along the route to cheer on runners. The courses are open to traffic, but organizers ask drivers to plan their trips before or after the peak race periods between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Organizers ask drivers to avoid Beartracks Bridge and Higgins Avenue, Mullan Road between Frenchtown and Kona Ranch Road, Kona Ranch Road, Big Flat Road, Blue Mountain Road, the Target Range area, Third Street from Russell Street all the way west, Fifth Street and Brooks Street north of Mount Avenue.
Those interested can register online. Prices for the 5k, marathon and half marathon increase after Sunday, June 22. The kids’ marathon is $10, and parents planning to run with their children do not need to separately register.