Viewpoint: Missoula needs housing for essential workers

Maura Griffuni

Missoula’s rising housing costs affect workers across many different sectors. As our city continues to grow, demands for teachers, nurses, medical assistants, firefighters, police officers, and tradespeople will only increase.

As a nurse, I work alongside medical assistants, emergency responders, and countless other essential workers who are being priced out of the city they serve.

When housing costs rise faster than wages, workers face a stark choice: commute long distances, stretch themselves financially, or leave Missoula altogether. Long commutes add stress, increase burnout, and reduce the time workers have for family, exercise, and recreation. In health care, that means fewer providers at the bedside, longer wait times for patients, and more strain on already short-staffed hospitals and clinics.

A healthy community depends on accessible housing for those who sustain it. We cannot afford a future where the people who care for us, educate our children, and build our homes are forced to live outside the city. Missoula needs more housing options — affordable rentals, starter homes, and attainable neighborhoods — so essential workers can live near where they work.

The city is in the process of revising its zoning laws, and if we want Missoula to remain a thriving, resilient city, we must support changes that ensure housing is within reach for the people we depend on most.

Contact your city council representative and encourage them to support zoning reform that increases the availability of multiple housing options.