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10/03/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
Travois Village’s supermajority union demands new lease
When Erik Brilz’s rent went up $200 in 2023 after a Texas-based company bought Travois Village mobile home park in Missoula, he didn’t do anything about it, despite knowing the hardship it would cause his neighbors.
This year, when Oak Wood Properties proposed a $150 increase, Brilz took action.
“It was a simple question of if I’m going to watch them do this to my neighbors,” he told Montana Free Press. “I can’t do that, I have to do something about it.”
In June, Brilz reached out to the Missoula Tenants Union, which helped him and several of his neighbors form a tenants union to represent the 273-home park in the Westside neighborhood, he said. After the residents began meeting and sent demand letters to Oak Wood Properties, the company dropped the rent increase from $150 to $50, Brliz said.
On Tuesday, dozens of Travois Village residents and supporters gathered to celebrate the launch of the group’s supermajority tenant union. A supermajority union represents more than 65% of occupied units. Travois Village launched with 71%, or 194 members.
Before the most recent ownership change, residents were paying about $395 in lot rent. That doesn’t include the mortgage they may have on their home or other costs. Currently, residents are paying approximately $645 in lot rent.
Linda Wolf, who has lived at Travois Village with her husband Jim since 1976, said the rent increases have made the community economically out of reach for most residents, many of whom are elderly, disabled or have fixed or low incomes. Even if residents wanted to move, Missoula has no options for relocating a mobile home, Wolf said.
“That’s why we had to stand up united as one to try to save the community we love,” she said.
Oak Wood has sent Travois Village residents four different leases in three months and is pressuring them to sign the latest 12-month lease by offering entrance into a $500 lottery, said Juli Sanders, press officer for the Missoula Tenants Union. This week, the union sent a proposed lease to Oak Wood that incorporates its demands with hopes to bring the company to the bargaining table, Sanders said.
The demands in the proposed lease include: capping lot rent at $580 for this lease, limiting future increases to no more than 3% per year tied to the official cost of living adjustment, giving tenants first right of refusal if the park goes up for sale, addressing safety and maintenance issues and allowing tenants to sell their home to whom they choose. Oak Wood’s most recent lease gives the company first rights to buy the mobile homes.
The union gave the company until Oct. 6 to respond to its proposal. Oak Wood did not respond to MTFP’s request for comment.
Resident Shane McLaughlin told MTFP he joined the union because the rent hikes were “a slap in the face” and caused uncertainty for his family. While he didn’t know what to expect at first, reaching a supermajority is impressive and humbling, McLaughlin said. When doorknocking around the neighborhood, McLaughlin and other organizers found even more residents supported the union’s efforts but hesitated to join, he said.
“Families, individuals and homeowners alike shouldn’t have to live in uncertainty and fear of retaliation for exercising their right to unify to work towards solidarity and fairness for the community,” McLaughlin told the crowd.
Sanders, with the Missoula Tenants Union, said community members facing similar issues at their property should start knocking on doors to see if their neighbors feel the same and if they are “up for a fight.” Those interested in learning more can contact MTU by email, on social media or attend the union’s regular monthly meetings, she said.
“It’s important if people want to be organizing their properties to know it does take a lot of manpower, working with neighbors and joining MTU,” Sanders said. “If we want to be making change on a large scale in Missoula, we need more people pitching in.”
Public Notice
The city is hosting an open house on the Downtown Safety, Access and Mobility (SAM) project Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Missoula Public Library. The project includes converting Front and Main streets into two-way streets, updating Higgins Avenue to a three-lane street, creating protected bike lanes along Higgins, trail improvements and upgrading traffic signals downtown. The project is primarily funded by a $24.5 million federal grant awarded in June 2023.
The city recently received initial designs from engineering firm DJ&A, which provide the framework for key design concepts. During the open house, the public can preview the plans, ask questions and provide comments. The city plans to hold more open houses at future project milestones. The open house runs from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Cooper Room on the fourth floor of the library.
Missoula residents can get a first look at the new proposed zoning map and development regulations during an open house Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Missoula County Fairgrounds’ floriculture building. The updates to the zoning map and codes follow the adoption of the Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan, which will guide the next 20 years of the city’s growth and development and lay the groundwork for increased housing density citywide. The open house runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a brief presentation from city staff at 5:30 p.m. Food and kids’ activities will be provided.
By the Numbers
The amount Missoula County will distribute this fiscal year in grants to support programs and services for children, families, seniors and rural communities.
In fiscal year 2026, 16 organizations will split $895,000 in Community Assistance Fund grants to help provide food, shelter, medical care and emergency transportation to at-risk populations, including the elderly, people with disabilities, youth and families in crisis and people experiencing homelessness. Awardees include Missoula Aging Services’ Meals on Wheels program, the Poverello Center’s homeless outreach team, Missoula Food Bank and Community Center and the Seeley Lake Community Foundation.
Eight programs will divide $368,920 in grants from the Substance Abuse Prevention Mill Levy, passed by voters in 2008. The money will help support youth and families and reduce the negative consequences and high costs of substance abuse. Organizations receiving grants include All Nations Health Center, EmpowerMT and Mountain Home Montana.
The full list of grant recipients is available online.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
On Tuesday, the Missoula County commissioners moved forward with plans to explore the feasibility of a downpayment assistance program and a county land policy to help pursue its housing goals. The county’s 2022 Housing Action Plan identified an affordable homeownership assistance program and a policy to leverage county-owned land to facilitate affordable housing development as priorities. Commissioner Josh Slotnick said the county has mostly tried to address the housing crisis by building infrastructure to facilitate construction. The challenge is finding revenue for a downpayment assistance program, he said. The county program could be an alternative to the state’s, which has a “pretty intense” annual appreciation cap of 1%, Slotnick said. The land policy would outline a strategy for handling county land to advance housing goals, which could include exploring partnerships with nonprofits or private developers or selling land to help pay for the down payment program or other properties, said John Wilke, a county housing specialist.
The city and Missoula County recently eliminated some impact fees to comply with new state laws. The fees are applied to new development to help support growth-related infrastructure costs. Senate Bill 133 removed local governments’ ability to charge fees for parks, general government services and administration fees. Fees can support water and sewer facilities, transportation, law enforcement, fire and other emergency services. The city will have a better idea of the financial impacts of the change as projects move forward, said Eric Halstrom, the city’s chief operations officer, on Sept. 24. An impact fee study is underway, and an advisory committee will make recommendations on new impact fee districts and fee methodology in early 2026, he said. Missoula County began collecting impact fees in August 2024. The difference in revenue will depend on the volume, type and location of development, Karen Hughes, county planning and development director, said Tuesday. The commissioners also directed the county impact fee advisory board to review its policies to ensure it is not limiting certain types of development.
The city’s Office of Neighborhoods and the League of Women Voters of Missoula are holding a series of municipal candidate forums this month ahead of the Nov. 4 election. The forums will be held at the City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St., and will be broadcast on the Missoula Community Access Television website. Recordings will also be available following the forums. Questions may be submitted to [email protected] by noon the day of the event, through an online form and in person at the beginning of each event. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the 90-minute forum begins at 7 p.m. The forum for Wards 5 and 6 is on Oct. 16. The mayoral forum is on Oct. 21 and will not be livestreamed. Recordings of the forums for Wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available on MCAT’s YouTube page.
Missoula Public Health is hosting immunization clinics across the county this month ahead of flu and COVID season. The full list of clinic locations and times is available on the health department’s website. Attendees should bring a photo ID and their insurance card. The Caring Foundation of Montana will provide vaccines at no cost to those without insurance. Residents can also receive immunizations at Missoula Public Health’s main clinic at 301 W. Alder St.
Seeley-Swan group Rural Voices is hosting a discussion about the expected impacts on rural health care in the area on Monday, Oct. 6. The meeting will review upcoming changes to the Seeley Lake Medical Center, Medicaid, Medicare and health insurance premiums. Professionals from the Seeley-Swan Hospital District board, Missoula Public Health, Big Sky 55+ and Partnership Health Center, which runs the clinic in Seeley Lake, will be available to answer questions. The meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall.
Might be Fun
Arts Missoula and Bayern Brewing are hosting Germanfest from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Caras Park. The free event honors Missoula’s sister city relationship with Neckargemünd, Germany, and includes live music, German food and beer, as well as other food and drink vendors. Activities include ax-throwing, fish slapping, giant beer pong and kids’ crafts. The event will also include a steinholding competition, and the winners will be invited to the state championship in Whitefish Oct. 11. Those interested can sign up online or at the event.