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7/11/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
Legislature, governor shoot down shelter funding proposals, but organizations see some progress
Montana had the second-largest percent increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness between 2007 and 2023, according to a federal report, one of many reasons shelter leaders say the state should invest in services.
In 2022, the Poverello Center spearheaded the formation of the Montana Coalition to Solve Homelessness, which has been lobbying the state for funding during the last two legislative sessions with mixed results.
The Legislature in 2023 passed a bill allocating $5 million in one-time grants for shelter capital projects. That was the first time the state provided money for homeless shelters, said Ella Smith, the coalition’s facilitator with Central House Strategies. This year, no bills funding shelters passed the Legislature or survived the governor’s veto.
“There are a number of things people say about why they’re not interested in supporting funding around homelessness,” Smith told Montana Free Press. “I think at the end of the day, it is a way to absolve the state of Montana of responsibility of having skin in the game on this issue. It’s the perspective of the coalition that we have a bigger problem here than many other places, and it is the responsibility of the state to participate in the conversation and decide at what level is the state to be involved in the solution.”
The coalition’s main priority this session was House Bill 310, which would have provided grants to increase shelter capacity, Smith said. The group also supported bills allocating funding towards rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing that also did not pass, she said. HB 310 provided flexible, one-time funding to allow shelters to meet the needs of their communities, but legislators voiced “serious hesitancy” around ongoing funding, Smith said.
Senate Bill 537, introduced later in the session, included $2 million for case management services for homeless shelters. The bill, which divided revenues from marijuana sales between various sources, passed but was vetoed by Gov. Greg Gianforte.
Jill Bonny, executive director of the Poverello Center, said she mainly testified on House Bill 274, which would have allowed the shelter to bill Medicaid for its medical respite program. The Missoula shelter is one of the few in the state with a medical respite program, which provides beds for homeless people recovering from illness or injury who no longer need hospital care.
The bill made it through the House but died in a Senate committee. However, it went further than in 2023, and Bonny said she hopes it will pass next session.
“We would love to be able to expand,” Bonny said. “…To do that, we need to know we can pay for it.”
Bonny said it was frustrating to see the bill fail despite its fiscal note showing it would save the state money.
“I hear a lot from people that it isn’t the place of the state to fund solutions for homelessness, that really that’s a local responsibility, which includes the faith-based community and churches, … and that also should come from private donations,” she said. “But it just isn’t working that way. It might have been 50 years ago, and we need additional help.”
Brayton Erickson, executive director of Butte Rescue Mission, said that since 2020, the area has seen a significant number of families and the elderly losing housing because of rising costs and assisted living home closures. The organization’s low-barrier shelter is at 90% to 120% capacity most nights and could use double its capacity and case management staff, he said.
Butte Rescue Mission, a faith-based organization, receives most of its funding from individual donations, but a sustainable source of money is needed to expand services, Erickson said. While HB 310 didn’t pass, it was widely accepted and started conversations, he said.
“I think a lot of lawmakers are starting to see the value in investing in services that support people who are in tight spots, who are in mental illness, mental health challenges, who are in drug psychosis many times or substance abuse issues who don’t have a good roadmap out of those harmful situations,” he said. “Shelters, rehab centers and mental health facilities all do play a part, and I think, for the state, they are a good investment because the alternative is very expensive for the state.”
Erickson and Bonny said there is a better understanding of the issue with each session. Bonny said she hopes continued conversations will help move the needle next session, and she encouraged people to contact lawmakers or tour their local shelter.
“I think the key to getting more support and funding is to educate people on what’s really happening with homelessness and shelters and the good work we’re doing,” she said.
Public Notice
Missoula County Office of Emergency Management is encouraging residents to sign up for emergency notifications ahead of the wildfire season.
Residents can sign up for Smart911 online or by downloading the app. Smart911 is a free, secure service that delivers location-specific alerts during emergencies and disasters. Emergency alerts are automatically delivered to landlines, but residents must opt in to receive them on cellphones.
“People may erroneously believe that because they get things like Amber Alerts sent to their cellphones, they will automatically get alerts about evacuations or other emergency info,” OEM Director Adriane Beck said in a statement. “Those alerts fall under the federal Wireless Emergency Alert system, which Missoula County OEM can initiate, but only under extreme circumstances, when the impacts of a hazard may only be minutes away. Signing up for Smart911 alerts is the best way you can be prepared to evacuate and stay updated during quickly evolving situations.”
Along with evacuation information, the emergency department uses Smart911 alerts to notify residents of neighborhood-specific, immediate safety concerns.
Residents can also create a Smart911 safety profile, which can include information about medical conditions, family members and pets, to help first responders during emergencies.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
On Monday, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency board endorsed sale and development agreements with Averill Hospitality for the city’s Riverfront Triangle property. The Missoula City Council will discuss the agreements on July 16 and vote on July 21. The project, announced in late June, will include a hotel with about 180 rooms, 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space, multiple street-front restaurants and retail shops, a large community plaza and a riverfront trail and greenspace. The city will use tax increment financing funds to reimburse Averill for constructing public infrastructure, including underground utilities, streets, sidewalks, a public plaza, a riverfront trail and a greenway. Rough estimates for those costs total about $14 million, said Ellen Buchanan, the MRA’s director. The $4 million from the land sale will incrementally go to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, but the MRA may initially use some of that money to reimburse Averill, Buchanan said. The agreements did not include a TIF funding request, which will be considered when costs are clearer, according to the MRA.
The Missoula County commissioners last week sent a letter to the owner of two local mobile home parks expressing concern over a recently announced rent increase. Oak Wood Properties initially increased the rent at Travois Village $150 per month before reducing it to $50 per month after public outcry, the Missoulian reported. The Texas-based company also owns Harvey’s Mobile Home Park in Bonner. In their letter, the commissioners write that while they appreciate the reduction, even small increases threaten to displace residents struggling to afford rent, food, medication and other basic needs. The commissioners ask the company to find ways to keep rent manageable for residents, as mobile home parks are “one of the last buffers against becoming homeless or otherwise being displaced.”
The city’s Public Works department began installing a new traffic light at the Orange Street and Cregg Lane intersection on Tuesday. The project, which includes sidewalk and pedestrian crossings, should wrap up by the end of September. The signal will provide safer, more efficient access to Orange Street from Cregg Lane, which has seen an increase in traffic since new housing was built in the area, according to the city. Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two-way traffic will continue throughout construction, but traffic on Orange Street will intermittently go down to one lane. Sidewalk and bike lane closures will also be necessary. Travelers are encouraged to take alternative routes during construction when possible.
The University of Montana’s free river shuttle service started on Thursday and will continue through Aug. 10. The service, sponsored by Mountain Line, runs Thursday through Sunday. Thursday and Friday departures leave on the hour between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday departures leave on the hour between noon and 4 p.m. Shuttles to Sha-Ron and Milltown State Park river access sites depart from the UM Campus Recreation Center. All tubes must be deflated before entering the shuttle. In 2023, the shuttles provided 2,400 trips to the river, averaging 150 to 160 passengers on the weekends, according to UM. By requiring deflated tubes, that weekend average could increase to 250 floaters daily. River shuttle riders can park for free at the campus pick-up site.
Climate Smart Missoula is holding a Wildfire Smoke Ready Week starting Saturday to encourage residents to prepare. The organization will be at the Missoula farmers markets on Saturdays, July 12 and 19, Out to Lunch at Caras Park on Wednesday, July 16 and at the Missoula Public Library on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Climate Smart will share information about staying healthy when wildfire smoke rolls in. Those interested can enter a raffle to win a HEPA air cleaner at the Out to Lunch event on Wednesday. NorthWestern Energy offers a $100 rebate for HEPA air purifiers at least through July. More information is available online.
By the Numbers
The number of calls to Missoula’s fireworks report line from June 28 through July 5, according to the city. Another 138 calls were made to 911 about fireworks. Last year, there were 231 calls to the report line and 139 calls for service. Fireworks are largely banned inside Missoula city limits, apart from permitted shows and novelty fireworks like sparklers and party poppers.
Might be Fun
The Missoula PaddleHeads baseball team is hosting a “housing night” on Thursday, July 17, at Ogren Park Allegiance Field to promote and fundraise for local housing organizations.
Half of the revenue from tickets purchased through this link will be donated to Homeword, Missoula Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity of Missoula, NeighborWorks Montana and Front Step Community Land Trust (formerly North Missoula Community Development Corporation). General admission tickets are discounted to $5. Gates open at 6 p.m. and first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
Homeword is sponsoring a raffle for an e-bike donated by Park Side Credit Union and will announce a winner during the baseball game. Tickets are $5 or less when bundled. All proceeds from the raffle benefit the housing organizations.
