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Residents urge halt to enforcement of Missoula ordinance 12.6 after Johnson Street shelter closure
Summary
Public commenters at the May 12 Missoula City Council meeting urged the council to stop enforcing ordinance 12.6 and reconsider policies after the Johnson Street shelter closed; the mayor described a separate veterans transitional housing project and said the city had approved CDBG funding confirmation.
Missoula City Council received heated public comment on May 12 about the recent closure of the Johnson Street shelter and the city's continued enforcement of ordinance 12.6.
Sage Bennett, a resident, told the council that “the criminalization of unhoused Missoulians will back up our hospitals, our criminal systems, and cost our city far more than keeping a shelter open.” Bennett urged the council to “stop applying the ordinance 12.6” or at least remove the fines tied to it, saying enforcement will “result in the deaths of people, especially in the winter.”
Another commenter, Travis Mateer, identified himself as a 25‑year Missoula resident and said he had worked with the homeless outreach program. He supported the Johnson Street shelter’s closure and urged the council to consider drug addiction and population composition when shaping responses, asking officials to analyze whether some people are required to remain in Missoula for legal reasons.
Mayor (presiding officer) responded during communications from the mayor with information about a separate project the public had mentioned. The mayor said the boarded property at Scott and Broadway is owned by the Poparella Center and is being repurposed as “Our Montana Heroes,” a transitional housing project for veterans. The mayor added that the city “has supported that project with various grant sources” and that the council “just approved CDBG funding confirmation last week.”
No council action on ordinance 12.6 or shelter policy was recorded in the meeting minutes for May 12. Public commenters asked the council to provide alternatives to enforcement when shelters are closed, and to clarify where people are expected to go if camping restrictions remain in force.
Councilors did not take immediate votes on changing enforcement of ordinance 12.6 during the meeting; public comment concluded and the council moved on to other business.
The issue is likely to return to the council or relevant committees in follow-up hearings or agenda items if members choose to pursue changes to enforcement policy or shelter options.
