Report: Missoula homeless shelters see 19% increase in nights stayed
There was a big jump in the number of nights people slept at shelters in Missoula in 2023 as Montana's affordable housing crisis continues unabated.
The nonprofit Poverello Center homeless shelter in Missoula served 1,455 different individual people in 2023 who stayed a combined 60,549 nights, a 19% increase over 2022.
That's according to the annual report recently published by the Pov, which is the largest homeless shelter in Montana. The Pov operates its main shelter on West Broadway as well as the Johnson Street Emergency Shelter, and the two combined can serve roughly 300 people every night. They are both often at capacity, especially in the winter months.
The increase in the number of nights slept in shelters was largely due to the city, county and the Poverello Center working together to fund and operate the Johnson Street Shelter in September of 2023, which is much earlier than it was opened in 2022. The shelter has been open all year so far in 2024, which means even more people had access to shelter for more months.
According to the report, there are an estimated 600 people experiencing homelessness in Missoula at any given time.
Jill Bonny, the executive director of the organization, said that donors, volunteers, staff and community partners are crucial to their mission.
"This year has brought its share of challenges, but it has also shown us the remarkable strength and compassion within our community," Bonny said. "Every meal provided, every shelter offered, and every moment of care has demonstrated how, together, we can create meaningful change. We are not just offering services, we are helping individuals rebuild their lives and restore their sense of dignity."
In 2023, the Pov spearheaded an effort to create the Montana Coalition to Solve Homelessness, which secured $5 million in state funding to support shelters across Montana.
The report breaks down the shelter guests who stayed at the Pov and at the Johnson Street Shelter.
White males between the ages of 25 and 64 are the majority of guests, although women are a little less than a quarter of the population. About 11% report a disability and 13% are veterans. Native Americans make up about a fifth of the shelter guest population.
Of people who stay at Missoula shelters, over 60% have a chronic health condition and 65% are chronically homeless.
The Pov is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Since opening in 1974 as a soup kitchen in downtown Missoula, they've served over 4 million meals. Since starting shelter services in 1981, they've provided almost 1 million nights of shelter. The Pov also operates the Homeless Outreach Team, which helps people with prescription medications, water bottles, food, identification, clothing and other needs. The kitchen at the Pov serves grab-and-go breakfast and two hot meals a day at the Broadway location, as well as a daily hot dinner at the Johnson Street Shelter.
In 2023, the organization served 122,436 meals to 2,037 people. They also rescued 477,552 pounds of food from nine local grocery stores and restocked it in the food pantry for 62,400 sack lunches.
Most of the organization's donors gave less than $200 each, but there were nearly 2,000 of those small donations, to go along with scores of other larger donations.
"Missoula is the most generous place I've ever called home," said Stephanie Dolan, the director of development at the Pov. "The spirit of giving in this town is inspiring. We would never be able to provide food, shelter, help and hope to our community if it wasn't for the support of the amazing people here. These dollars add up and keep our most vulnerable neighbors safe."
The city and county both recently split a $1.8 million operating cost to keep the Johnson Street Shelter open for another two years.
David Erickson is the business reporter for the Missoulian.
Business Reporter
