Viewpoint: Time to get behind bold housing solutions

Jana Richter

Last week, Missoula lost two crucial resources: the Johnson Street Shelter and the Montana Eviction Intervention Program, both due to expiring COVID-era funding. These actions follow cuts to Montana Fair Housing earlier this year, which left renters with fewer legal resources amid systemic tenant-landlord power imbalances.

Right now, Missoula faces a critical moment. Most of our community members rent their homes, and neighbors across the housing spectrum are suffering from a dire housing shortage. Rising costs and instability continue to push people out of their homes, neighborhoods, and Missoula altogether.

As the City finalizes its new Unified Development Code this fall, small steps won’t be enough. We need bold changes that expand home choices for all and make it easier to build the strong, affordable neighborhoods we desperately need.

This means eliminating arbitrary parking mandates that require paving open space, lowering costs by streamlining permits, and allowing diverse housing types and amenities in every neighborhood. It also means pulling every lever the city has to support tenant protections and ensure Missoulians can maintain stable homes while we achieve housing abundance.

The city must honor its commitment to a safe and affordable Missoula for all by taking bold steps now, and I urge the community to show up alongside pro-housing advocates during the code reform process and beyond to hold them to it.

As resources run out and costs continue rising, now is the time to get this right. Our neighbors and our future depend on it.