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Missoula council member outlines plan as Johnson Street emergency shelter funding winds down
Summary
Council member Gwen and city staff described efforts to transition residents of the Johnson Street emergency shelter into more stable housing as federal pandemic-era funding ends; the city and service providers plan a time-limited push to house people, expand case management, and pursue fundraising.
City Council member Gwen told the Missoula Community Forum on March 27 that the Johnson Street emergency shelter's federal funding has run down and the city must transition from a long-running congregate shelter model to a housing-focused response.
"We just don't have the money anymore," Gwen said, explaining the Johnson Street shelter was established during the COVID-19 pandemic with federal emergency dollars that were never intended to fund a long-term congregate shelter. She characterized the current plan as a five-month push to pair fewer shelter beds with intensive case management and housing placements.
Gwen said the city is piloting and expanding programs that help residents overcome immediate barriers to housing, such as first/last month's rent and utility arrears, and that Missoula Interfaith Collaborative and other local providers are coordinating volunteers and services. The city aims to…
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