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Hello and happy Friday. It’s Katie with the latest edition of Missoula This Week. Before we get into it, a quick note: The newsletter will take a short break while I am on a family vacation in Portugal and Spain. The next edition will hit your inboxes on Oct. 9.
In this issue, we have the latest update on plans for the former Johnson Street shelter site, which the city is redeveloping following the closure of the shelter a little more than a year ago. We also hear from the leader of a Missoula nonprofit serving immigrants and refugees about how that work has changed in the last year and a half.
But first, a weather preview ☀️
While the forecast includes scattered chances of rain, high temperatures in the 70s and a sunny Sunday should make attending the many events planned for this weekend (more on that below) a breeze. Friday has a high temperature of 75 with a chance of showers beginning mainly in the evening, according to the National Weather Service’s Missoula office. There’s a chance of rain in the morning and afternoon on Saturday, but the day will be mostly cloudy with a high near 72 degrees. Sunday will be the clearest and warmest day, with a high in the upper 70s.
Development aims to house ‘extremely’ low-income residents
While I spent the last three weeks reporting on how the closure of the Johnson Street homeless shelter one year ago has affected Missoula’s homelessness response, I didn’t touch on the plans for the 8-acre city-owned property.
But this week, the Missoula City Council was updated on what’s next for the site — an $80 million-affordable housing project.
The city, Missoula Housing Authority and local developer United Housing Partners announced the project, named Franklin Crossing, in March. Since then, the partners have been working to advance the project, aimed at addressing the city’s persistent housing shortage.
“There are very limited affordable housing options, especially for people earning extremely low income,” Mayor Andrea Davis told the council Wednesday. “We’re talking about folks that might be making minimum wage. We are talking about folks that might be living on Social Security/disability income. There is a significant shortage of homes across the United States that meet those needs for folks in that income category.”
The project includes 211 income-restricted apartments for residents making 30% to 70% of Missoula’s area median income and 33 market-rate townhomes. For a three-person household, 30% to 70% of area median income is about $29,220 to $68,180. The 42 units for those making 30% of the area median income will be supported with HUD project-based vouchers secured by the housing authority. The income-restricted apartments will be permanently affordable, said Tyson O’Connell, founder of United Housing Partners.
“We want this to serve Missoula for generations,” he said at the meeting Wednesday.
The project has 17 funding sources and is contingent on receiving state funding and low-income housing tax credits. In June, the Montana Board of Housing awarded Franklin Crossing a $5 million low-interest loan from the Montana Growth and Opportunity Housing Program. The developers have applied for $8.5 million in low-income housing tax credits, which the state board will consider in late October.
The city will donate about 5.7 acres for the low-income housing project and United Housing Partners will buy the land for the townhomes, O’Connell said. The Missoula Redevelopment Agency also set aside $9.7 million of tax increment financing for the project, which will go before the MRA board and city council for final approval. The developers aim to break ground next summer.
Meeting Minutes 📝
County Commission
The Missoula County commissioners Tuesday signed and sent a letter to the owner of two mobile home parks requesting the company better communicate with residents and consider their concerns.
Texas-based Axia Realty Partners purchased Katoonah Lodges, a community for those 55 and older, in early 2025 and bought Mobile City in April. Since then, the lot rent at Katoonah Lodges has increased 35%, and the lot rent at Mobile City has increased about 30%, said John Wilke, the county’s housing specialist.
Becky Beamer, a Katoonah Lodges resident, told the commissioners Tuesday that most residents live on retirement and Social Security benefits with no wiggle room for unexpected rent increases.
The Missoula Tenants Union has helped residents of both parks form their own tenants unions. Resident Linda Osmanson said the Katoonah Lodges union sent a letter to Axia earlier this year that was ignored and is working on another letter.
“As members of the baby boomer generation, we are not backing away from this fight,” she said. “We have worked all our adult lives; we do not deserve to be an ATM for a soulless investment firm.”
The letter also asks Axia to consider selling the parks to the residents and to meet with NeighborWorks Montana to discuss that option.
3 Questions For ❓
Soft Landing Missoula, a nonprofit that supports refugee and immigrant families, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year.
The organization is holding events throughout September, including its sixth annual Stories of Home documentary screening and panel discussion. The free event is Friday, Sept. 25, at the Zootown Arts Community Center.
I spoke with Mary Poole, the nonprofit’s executive director, this week about the event and the nonprofit’s last decade in Missoula. Our conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
MTW: Can you tell me more about the Stories of Home event and why it’s important?
Poole: Stories of Home just gives the Missoula community a chance to hear directly from refugees and immigrants in our community about what that experience is like to be in a new place, to feel a sense of belonging, or not, what you might miss from your original home, what you might find weird and funny in your new home. We hear a lot about the weather being different. There’s always some good humor involved. It puts a real human voice to the numbers we hear or the things we read about.
You can hear a lot about how refugees and immigrants are takers; they take jobs or economic resources, but the reality is that they are givers. So helping kind of guide the narrative around that, and in some instances change the narrative around that, getting to see refugees and immigrants as giving to our community and all of the skills they bring, all the values that they bring. The more we can help showcase that, that kind of grayness or unknown about new neighbors can be resolved and filled with all the good stories out there.
MTW: There have been major changes to immigration policy in the last year and a half. What has that meant for Soft Landing?
Poole: We have been immersed in those changes every day, but I still run into people who say, “Oh gosh, how many refugees have you been able to welcome to Missoula this year?” without remembering that on day one of this administration, they shut down refugee resettlement. There are not refugees coming to [the United States] outside of a few thousand from South Africa. So I think that obviously, day one was an incredible change for our community. We have family members who now don’t get to be reunited with their family that would have been otherwise.
There are not new families coming in that we’re serving, but that’s allowed us time and space to really hone in on what families here in Missoula need, what gaps of service are missing in our community, what is our role in working with these families. It’s kind of remarkable that 10 years into this, we’re able to meet this incredibly challenging moment in a way that’s very meaningful for the families we serve. And it gives Missoula a way to kind of participate in a really challenging national situation in which refugees and immigrants in our community can still find support and belonging and friendship, the things that make Missoula the wonderful place that it is to live.
MTW: What else have you learned in the last 10 years and what does the next decade look like?
Poole: It’s just turned out to be such a mutually beneficial experience for our community. What a special thing that we can offer safety and security and a home to families who have fled incredibly, incredibly devastating situations. It’s such a gift that our community can do that.
One of the most important things that I learned I now find in my life almost daily, if not weekly, is that just because they’re suffering or going through things that are really hard, that doesn’t lessen the need for joy, humor and fun. To see a person who’s gone through so much come through our doors with a huge smile on their face, bringing in a new baby for us to smooch, getting their driver’s license or celebrating gaining their citizenship. That joy, kindness, and generosity that these families have brought into my life and the lives of so many Missoulians is just a gift.
We still have a roadmap: Families coming to integrate into our community and continuing to bring all the wonderful things they bring. As far as Soft Landing goes, we feel so blessed and supported by the Missoulians volunteering, donating, coming to our events and engaging with the families we serve mutually. I know things are really challenging, and we have some challenging years ahead, but I’m a rosy glasses person. I can’t help but think we can get through this, and we’ll come out stronger and ready to continue to do the work of welcome.
Public Notice 🧐
Hazardous household waste drop-off Saturday
🗓️ Saturday, Sept. 19
⏰ 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
📍 1555 Wyoming St.
ℹ️ Missoula Public Health partnered with Home ReSource to open a year-round household chemical disposal facility. There is a 10-gallon maximum per person, and appointments are requested. The facility accepts oil paints, stains and solvents, gasoline and diesel, full aerosol cans, pesticides and herbicides, household cleaning products, pool and spa chemicals, mercury products and PCB ballasts. The facility does not accept new or used motor oil, water-based paint, batteries, business waste or propane tanks.
🔗 Make an appointment online or by calling 406-258-4968.
FWP hosting info session on mule deer, CWD
🗓️ Wednesday, Sept. 23
⏰ 6 p.m.
📍 Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Missoula office, 3201 Spurgin Rd.
ℹ️ Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists will discuss mule deer numbers, current research and factors affecting their population in west-central Montana. Bevin McCormick, FWP’s wildlife health biologist, will also talk about chronic wasting disease in Montana.
🔗 Read more about CWD’s spread in Montana here.
Local Lineup 🚶
The second annual Viva Montana! Latin heritage festival returns to Caras Park Saturday. The free cultural festival runs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and includes live music, dancers, artisans, cultural educators and authentic food vendors.
The Missoula Renaissance Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Missoula County Fairgrounds. The event features medieval-themed entertainment, including jousting, music, magic shows, demonstrations, games, as well as a vendor market and food. Hours and ticket information are available online.
Sunday Streets Missoula, a free event that encourages people to be active and support local businesses, takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday on Higgins Avenue between Fifth Street and the XXXXs. The event, held by Missoula in Motion, closes a section of streets to cars to make room for activities hosted by local organizations and businesses, food vendors and live music.
Missoula Moonlight Market is holding a mid-autumn festival from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at Western Cider. The event includes live music, a calligraphy demonstration, and Asian art and food vendors.