City Council Hears Details of Johnson Street Shelter Budget

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - After releasing a Request for Proposals for the city-owned property on Johnson Street between North and South Avenues during the Housing and Redevelopment hearing on Wednesday, information about the two-year budget for the Johnson Street Shelter was shared with the Missoula City Council.

Emily Armstrong, Houseless Programs Manager, described a memorandum of understanding concerning the shelter.

City Council Gets Details on Johnson Street Shelter Budget

“The first is that the city of Missoula and the Poverello Center are looking to enter into a memorandum of understanding together to memorialize our ongoing partnership, and memorialize things like the guiding principles and key values, shared values that are at the core of our partnership,” began Armstrong. “That is new. We've previously just operated on project-based contracts, and so this grounding Memorandum of Understanding is new for us, and we're in the process of drafting that agreement right now.”

Armstrong said the focus is not just to provide temporary shelter, but to assist houseless persons to move onto more permanent housing.

The Council Provided Potential Housing Goals

“A shift to some really housing-focused outcomes that are co-created with the Poverello Center staff and really focused on supporting shelter guests in moving through the shelter to their identified housing goals, which could be a number of things,” she said. “It could be reunification with family. It could be rented in a rental unit in Missoula, with or without a subsidy. It could be entering treatment or recovery, a whole slew of options that are closer to housing goals for folks.”

Houseless Operations Specialist Cerina Azure-Kjorstad introduced the hard numbers for a budget to operate the Johnson Street Shelter.

“The budget for the first year of operations is not to exceed $1,819,725 of which half is allocated in the city's FY (fiscal year) 25 adopted budget, and half will be the county's allocation,” said Azure-Kjorstad.

Azure-Kjorstad also provided some facts about the shelter itself.

Read More: $325,000 Bathroom and Shower Additions at Missoula Shelter

The Shelter Can House up to 185 People in Total Per Night

“It's open. 24/7 and it can fit up to 165 guests sleeping, but 185 guests in total,” she said. “Guests are able to connect with the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and other service providers there. There is food available to shelter guests. Black Knight Security and Investigations provide security outside the shelter and in the surrounding vicinity, and there are numerous ways to resolve community concerns through the monthly neighborhood meetings, partnership with the homeless outreach team, and regular coordination with partners like other outreach teams, mobile support team, police and others.”

The city will provide $909,603 for the shelter operations, while the county’s share will be $909,862.