MISSOULA - Missoula’s Emergency Winter Shelter at Johnson Street and North Avenue will close for the season on April 18.
Missoula officials note the shelter has offered indoor shelter for up to 150 people per night since it opened on Nov. 1 and as of Feb. 28, the shelter had served 567 individuals.
Several options remain available as the city and county continue to work on their Operation Shelter initiative.
- The Poverello Center continues to operate at US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended capacity, about 80 people per night.
- The Temporary Safe Outdoor Space, a partnership among Hope Rescue Mission, United Way of Missoula County and other nonprofits with support from Missoula County, operates safe, healthy, secure, staffed shelter on private land. Staff members work with residents to help them secure permanent housing. More than 30 people have transitioned to stable housing.
- The Authorized Camping Site, a City-County project on City land that opened in January, offers 40 camping spots with very-low-barrier entry and minimal services. The site intends to serve people who are not comfortable indoors. Missoula overall has seen a decrease in urban camping since it opened. It is full most nights.
Missoula also offers housing for families and those experiencing domestic violence at the YWCA’s Meadowlark Family Housing Center and housing for new mothers and their children at Mountain Home Montana.
City and County funds received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, as well as funding from the Human Resource Council, paid for this year’s Emergency Winter Shelter operations.
To learn more about Missoula’s Operation Shelter efforts, attend the Operation Shelter Update at the Missoula City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, April 6, by Zoom. Check the committee schedule online on the evening of April 4 following the City Council meeting.
Additional information about Operation Shelter can be found at https://www.engagemissoula.com/safe-shelter.
