
Missoula Prepares to House Homeless in Frigid Weather
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - I spoke with Missoula County United Way CEO Susan Hay Patrick on Thursday, who is asking Missoulians to help out with donations to help protect homeless or houseless individuals and families during the coming cold snap in Missoula.
United Way's Susan Hay Patrick Seeking Help for Homeless on Cold Nights
“When these winter temperatures drop, our thoughts turn to our most vulnerable neighbors, who are people living unhoused on our streets and in their cars and trying to find shelter for them, when our two emergency shelters are already overflowing,” began Hay Patrick.
She detailed the current situations at Missoula's two homeless shelters, the Johnson Street Shelter and the Poverello Center.
The Johnson Street Shelter and Poverello Center are Already at Capacity
“The Johnson Street shelter has been averaging close to 180 people a night and it's really equipped to house about 165 people, but people can sleep in chairs or sit on the floor, and those are very high averages,” she said. “The ‘Pov’ is not always full, but close to full, and we think, and on these approaching nights this weekend, that they will be full to capacity, and the thought of turning people away is really quite heartbreaking.”
Hay Patrick said there are some churches in the community that may be able to help in the short term.
“We are working with a few churches that are thinking about if we are able to provide them with staffing and security, thinking about taking in some folks on an emergency basis,” she said. “We are exploring other potential empty spaces in town that might be suitable for emergency winter shelter.”
Hay Patrick is Deeply Concerned That Some May Freeze to Death Outside
Hay Patrick expressed her deep feelings about the dangers coming over the weekend with bitterly cold temperatures to those without shelter.
“I am confident that if we are able to ensure that there are qualified staff people to keep these spaces safe and secure and keep people in them safe and secure, that these organizations would open their doors on an emergency basis this winter,” she said. “We cannot have people dying on our streets. That would be a terrible tragedy. That is just not an option.”
The forecast is calling for bitter-cold temperatures for the next few nights in Missoula, with lows into the single digits and below zero on Sunday. She said there have been no deaths reported as yet due to the frigid overnight temperatures.
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