Viewpoint: Missoula still needs a second shelter

Daniel Carlino

Missoula closed its largest homeless shelter without any alternative in place, and now we're seeing the consequences. Hundreds of people who once relied on the Johnson Street shelter now will have no option but to sleep in cars, riverbanks, and on the street. This isn’t just a humanitarian failure, but it’s a crisis touching every corner of our city.

Emergency services are stretched thin responding to preventable situations. Taxpayers are now footing the bill for increased security patrols, police response, jail stays, and towing people’s vehicles. We’re spending millions just to shuffle people from one unsafe location to another, instead of investing in real, lasting solutions.

A couple of years ago on the City Council, we considered a resolution to redevelop the Johnson Street shelter. I proposed an amendment to ensure new shelter spaces would open before we closed any existing ones. That proposal was rejected numerous times, and now we’re dealing with the fallout.

A safe, year-round shelter paired with long-term resources to connect people to jobs and housing support is both more compassionate and fiscally responsible. Missoula is a community that looks out for one another. If we’re serious about addressing homelessness, we must fund real shelter and housing, not just push people out of sight.

I will continue fighting for common-sense, housing-first policies that reflect our values. The cost of inaction is already here and it’s too high.

Daniel Carlino represents Ward 3 on the Missoula City Council