MISSOULA — The Johnson Street Temporary Emergency Shelter is reducing capacity ahead of its closure at the end of summer, with teams working to connect residents with other services and to help people out with the heat.
“More recently, we've been sleeping between 60 and 70 people at Johnson Street,” said Poverello Center executive director Jill Bonny. “Even though we have a decreased capacity, I think it's naturally getting smaller. People are choosing to stay elsewhere or finding better solutions on their own, which is great because we haven't had to turn anyone away.”
The city announced in March that the shelter would close by the end of August. As teams work to phase out Johnson Street, they are actively helping shelter residents find alternative, and more permanent, solutions.
Twice a week, teams from the city and other partners come by the shelter as part of the “housing sprint," offering help with rental applications, transportation, medical and substance-use referrals and housing-focused case management.
The Poverello Center has seen an increase in people since the phase-out started, but Bonny also said many are staying outside.
“I just think a lot of people, especially when the announcement first came out of Johnson Street closing, they just decided to go outside,” she said. “It’s warm outside, it's not cold anymore.”
But the heat provides its own set of challenges.
“We really watch the weather in the heat, much like we do in the winter with the cold,” Bonny told MTN. “The Pov building is air-conditioned and it's a great cool place for people to come in out of the weather. If people choose to go somewhere else besides the Pov, we try to direct them to other locations, either shade outside or getting in out of the heat during peak weather.”
With the hot weather, the Homeless Outreach Team is also bringing supplies to those living outside.
If you want to help out with this heat, Bonny said they’re looking for donations of bottled water, sunscreen, aloe vera and bug spray. Click here to learn more.
“Things like that are really needed and we're giving them out every day. That's a way to get involved,” Bonny said. “I think also sometimes people just don't know what's happening and a great way to learn more about what's happening is to reach out and ask for a tour or come and volunteer.”
