Housing, childcare, literacy among Human Resource Council’s goals for ’26

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) Missoula County on Tuesday signed off on the Human Resource Council's approval of a grant application to continue providing community-based programs ranging from housing assistance to childcare.

Approval of the funding also requires the county's approval of the organization's plans for the next two fiscal years, which includes training for job readiness and adult literacy classes, among dozens of other programs.

The program goals are funded under the Economic Opportunity Act and are regulated by the federal government.

“The work we do is performance based. We set out what's going to happen and we report back with the results. We have to have the county sign off on that,” said Katie Neher, the data and reporting specialist with the Human Resource Council's Missoula district.

Every two years, the local Human Resource Council conducts a community needs assessment. More often than not, it highlights needed assistance for affordable housing, providing housing for the homeless and access to childcare.

It also notes the need for access to employment and training.

“We really have a broad base of services that touches a wide array of people,” Neher said. “If someone comes to us for help with heat assistance, they might be able to get help in other areas like employment and training, or assistance applying for social security, things like that.”

The programs serve three western Montana counties including Missoula, Mineral and Ravalli. Currently, the organization is working to establish a food bank in Mineral County and housing in Ravalli County.

“We have a couple projects were doing right now,” said Neher. “We've just built eight units in Ravalli County to house veterans and victims of domestic violence who are 55 and older. We're just now placing people in those units. We've also had referrals of folks from Missoula to be placed in those units.”

In Missoula County, she said the council has been successful on the housing front through an Emergency Solutions Grant.

“It's a grant that's available statewide through community action agencies,” Neher said. “It helps stabilize housing for people who are at risk or are going to lose their housing by paying arrears, or assisting people to get into housing through a deposit.”

Neher said the program interfaces with the Coordinated Entry System in Missoula “so we have a way to assist people to get some wraparound services to get housed.”