July 9, 2021 Update

What We’re Doing

The City of Missoula and Missoula County stood up an incident management team with operations and logistics expertise to identify and vet potential alternative locations for community members currently camping near Reserve Street and elsewhere in the urban wild.

Office of Emergency Management Director Adriane Beck presented a report and the team’s recommendations during a July 8 public meeting. Members of the public can learn more about the options presented by viewing the presentation and maps linked under the Documents section of this page. A recording of the meeting also is available online.

Next Steps

Members of the public can email their thoughts and comments on the team’s recommendations to solutions@missoulacounty.us for the mayor and county commissioners to consider. The commissioners will direct staff on how to proceed at their July 15 administrative public meeting, and they will allocate any financial resources, likely using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, during the County's upcoming budget process. The City will take a similar approach during its budgeting process.

Following selection and acquisition, sites would need to be equipped with necessary sanitation, security, staffing and other logistical needs. Once open, the City and County will work with our partners to shift people camping near the Reserve Street Bridge and other places in the urban wild to the new option(s). We will collaborate with our partners who have built trusting relationships with unhoused community members to help ensure the transition is as smooth and compassionate as possible.