MISSOULA - Members of the community visited the Johnson Street Shelter for a Wednesday evening open house that was held to answer questions about how the facility is going to be run when it opens in a few weeks.
Representatives from the Poverello Center, Black Knight Security and the City of Missoula were on hand to answer people’s questions in a more casual and personal setting.
“We just want to bring in the neighborhood I know there’s been a lot of conversation and this is a great chance for folks in the area to come in and see what the shelter is really like without invading guest’s privacy once we open for sure," Poverello Center Communications Coordinator Beckett Redinger explained.
Many residents spent extended lengths of time talking with the different people who would be running the shelter.
While the shelter has repeatedly been talked about as a temporary solution to help the unhoused situation in Missoula, some residents have more long-term concerns.
“For the most part, I think from what I’ve heard it doesn’t sound like there’s a lot of plans to address mental illness or substance abuse moving forward," Ross Miewald said. "So, it just feels like more or less a band-aid on a gaping wound so to speak and what I’m looking for as someone who’s lived here for a number years is a more concrete answer moving forward.”
The Johnson Street Emergency Shelter does not have an official open date but is believed it will become operational later in September.
