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Temporary Safe Outdoor Space (TSOS)
Missoula Temporary Safe Outdoor Space: Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the TSOS through these episodes of the Missoula County Commissioners' podcast:
Missoula’s Temporary Safe Outdoor Space (TSOS) is a safe, healthy, secure, staffed (24/7) environment that serves individuals experiencing homelessness, with the ultimate goal of helping them secure permanent housing. It's a partnership between Missoula County, HOPE Rescue Mission and United Way of Missoula County, with financial support from the City of Missoula. HOPE Rescue Mission staffs and operates the site, while United Way and Missoula County government provide logistical support.
Initially set up in response to the pandemic, the Missoula TSOS has become a model for how to successfully offer people experiencing homelessness a safe space to live while connecting them to appropriate, sustainable housing resources and providing a reliable location for case managers and service providers to reach clients.
Originally located on private land near Buckhouse Bridge south of Missoula, the site has been relocated to County-owned land at Mullan and Broadway, near the detention facility. The residents moved to this new site in early January 2023. The new site can house approximately 35 to 40 people at a time.
“Temporary” refers to the goal for residents, not the location. The primary goal of the TSOS is to connect residents to the resources they need to obtain sustainable permanent housing. Since it opened at the end of 2020, the site has served more than 300 people, with 51 moving onto a permanent housing solution. Around a dozen residents of the former Authorized Camping Site on Clark Fork Lane have transitioned to the TSOS.
Originally located on private land near Buckhouse Bridge south of Missoula, the site was relocated to County-owned land at Mullan and Broadway, near the detention facility, in January 2023.
Missoula TSOS includes the following facilities and services:
- 30 hard sided shelters manufactured by a company called Pallet
- Each 100-square-foot is equipped with beds, lockable doors, windows, electricity, heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.
- Hard-sided bathrooms equipped with showers, as well as a trailer to serve as office space for staff.
- Outreach workers, onsite case management, safety precautions
- Wellness screenings and links to hotels, housing, health care services and recovery options
- Personal protective equipment (masks, gloves) and cleaning supplies
- Work-readiness programs (resume assistance, job search assistance guidance, interview preparation)
The TSOS was initially set up in 2020 to address capacity constraints on local providers of shelter, food and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many unhoused people are living on the streets or in their vehicles, which is not safe during a Montana winter. Many of those individuals have served our country and are veterans of the U.S. military. A number of them live in unsafe environments, like the former encampment off Reserve Street. There are increased reports of people camping in local neighborhoods. These locations lack access to trash removal or bathrooms and pose an environmental, health and safety hazard for those who are camping, as well as the community.
Having a safe, legal, secure environment with health precautions and links to services reduces the demands on emergency responders and the healthcare system and results in better outcomes for everyone.
The TSOS is considered a “low-barrier” site, and participation is behavior-based. All participants are required to initial and sign a written agreement with Hope Rescue Mission – both when they enter initially, and whenever they come and go from the site – that includes behavioral expectations, rights and responsibilities. Only approved participants in TSOS are allowed on the property, with a No Trespassing policy posted and enforced. This differs from the Authorized Camping Site, which had minimal barriers.
From when it opened in late 2020 through October 2023, the TSOS served 265 people, with 97 moving onto a permanent housing solution, including long-term recovery. 60% of residents maintain full-time employment.
Of the 265 participants, 125 were experiencing a mental health disorder and 78 had a substance abuse disorder. The site has also served 24 youth (age 17-22) experiencing homelessness. Before they were at the TSOS, 174 participants were living outdoors, in vehicles or other places not meant for habitation, and 91 were living in emergency shelter.
In its first year of operation (Dec. 2020 to Dec. 2021), the TSOS successfully:
- Served 86 individuals experiencing homelessness. These are individuals who may have recently entered homelessness prior to arriving or who had been chronically homeless.
- Transitioned 26 people into housing. These are individuals who were able to move into a place with the help of a housing subsidy program or were able to move in with friends or family without a subsidy.
- Helped 2 individuals enter into long-term treatment programs. Substance use is a significant barrier to leaving homelessness, and a formal treatment program is the best intervention to sustainable housing and long-term recovery.
- Connected 8 people to new case management services after they arrived at the TSOS. Case management helps connect clients to various resources, provides guidance and support for recovery, rehabilitation, mental illness, work readiness and more. TSOS staff work alongside existing case managers to enhance forward progress for guests.
- Assisted 15 people in obtaining photo IDs. A photo ID is necessary for any forward progress. It is required to rent an apartment, buy a vehicle, cash a check, obtain employment, etc. Many arrive without an ID, and TSOS staff assist guests in re-establishing their identity.
- Helped 13 residents receive necessary documents for obtaining a photo ID (birth certificate or SS card). A birth certificate and/or a social security card are required proof of identification to obtain a photo ID.TSOS staff work alongside each guest to request copies of these documents. These documents are also needed for employment, assistance programs and more.
Hope Rescue Mission manages and operates the TSOS, providing peer support and case management. Other members of the local faith community — such as River of Life Ministries, Cornerstone Church, and Christian Life Center — provide outreach, connect TSOS participants to services, including long-term housing. United Way of Missoula County coordinated pre-opening logistics, with support from Missoula County’s Office of Emergency Management.
Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money awarded to the County and City will cover the cost of setting up the new site near the detention facility, with funding for operations available through the end of fiscal year 2025. Costs to set up the site are about $1.48 million, which includes purchase of the shelters, bathrooms and office, as well as construction. The annual cost for HOPE Rescue Mission to operate the site is $408,000.
The initial site near Buckhouse Bridge was reimbursed through federal CARES Act funding, so no local property taxpayer dollars were used.
The county declared a state of emergency and activated its emergency operations plan in response to COVID-19 in March 2020. Under that plan, the county has an obligation to address the immediate health and safety needs of our population, which includes people experiencing homelessness. The emergency operations plan directs staff to work with other agencies and community partners as needed to meet this obligation, which is how the county formed partnerships with the private landowner and partner agencies on this project. The Missoula County Office of Emergency Management and Public Works performed some work up front to prepare the site, which also falls under the scope of the emergency declaration, and the cost of which was reimbursed with CARES Act funds.
The Temporary Safe Outdoor Space is a temporary, safe, healthy, secure, staffed (24/7) environment on private land serves – with dignity – up to 40 people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic who are not accessing existing services or resources. It provides a more structured environment and more resources than the current unregulated encampment near Reserve Street, which has posed environmental, health and safety hazards, and it is staffed by the Hope Rescue Mission.
The Johnson Street emergency winter shelter is a temporary indoor shelter located at the Johnson Street Community Center set up by the City of Missoula and funded mainly with federal COVID-19 relief funds and financial contributions from the City and Missoula County. The Poverello Center staffs and operates the shelter through a contract with the City. This site has capacity for 150 people.
Under the emergency declaration adopted to address COVID-19, the county has an obligation to address the immediate health and safety needs of our population, which includes people experiencing homelessness. The emergency operations plan directs staff to work with other agencies and community partners as needed to meet this obligation, which is how the county was able to move forward with setting up the TSOS. Commissioners determined at a Dec. 17, 2020 public hearing that this use is allowed under the emergency declaration and interim zoning is not required at this time.
Missoula County, City of Missoula and numerous community partners, including the Poverello Center, United Way of Missoula County and Hope Rescue Mission, have implemented the following programs and initiatives to help make homelessness rare, brief and one-time-only:
The Trinity Project: This collaboration between Homeword, the Missoula Housing Authority and BlueLine Development will develop a 202-home project located on two sites in Missoula. Missoula County contributed the land for the Mullan site, which will provide 130 low-threshold affordable homes, 30 of which will be supportive housing, accompanied by a navigation center, for Missoula’s long-term unhoused neighbors. 72 affordable rental homes will be located on the Cooley block and will be built for families and Missoula’s workforce.
Villagio: This Missoula Housing Authority housing effort on the Northside will include 200 two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment units priced to be affordable to people making at or below 60% of the area median income. The project, which also will include 24 units with project-based vouchers attached, is on track to open in spring/summer of 2022.
“A Place to Call Home”: Missoula's citywide housing policy proposes a fundamental shift in how housing is prioritized within the City of Missoula, as well as a commitment to long-term funding of housing initiatives. It proposes over two dozen individual strategies to address increasing housing costs in Missoula, such as adoption of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund: Recommended in the 2019 housing policy “A Place to Call Home,” Missoula’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund was established in July 2020. Its purpose as Missoula’s only local funding source for affordable homes is to provide dedicated, flexible funding to support housing activities in Missoula and to provide the consistency and predictability that enable long-range planning, multi-year projects and measured risk-taking to address the city’s severe housing needs. It is a revolving fund with a competitive application process intended to allow the leveraging of other outside resources and decrease the need for annual fund-seeking from other federal and private sources. Find news about this trust fund here.
Scattered site community land trust: Missoula County is working with Trust Montana to fund a scattered site community land trust model for homes people can afford. These funds will be used with private funds to acquire the land beneath existing homes, reducing the purchase price for income-qualified homebuyers in the present and preserving the affordability of these houses for income-qualified homebuyers in the future.
Sxwtpqyen (Mullan) Area Master Plan: This joint city-county project, for the area west of Reserve Street between Mullan Road and West Broadway that is currently receiving significant development pressure, will designate land use patterns and put into place regulations that are in alignment with the community’s values, including prioritizing development of affordable housing that will help prevent people from experiencing homelessness in the first place.
YWCA Meadowlark Family Housing and Domestic Violence Shelter Facility: The YWCA opened a brand new shelter facility in partnership with Missoula Interfaith Collaborative’s Family Promise Program that significantly expands our community’s ability to support families who are houseless and those impacted by domestic violence. The 30,000-square-foot building has 38 private sleeping rooms, 178 beds, 50 bathrooms, shared living and dining areas, outdoor youth play spaces, health care and legal clinics and offices for supportive services. The facility’s three wings — YWCA’s program center, YWCA’s domestic violence shelter, and Missoula Family Housing Center — offer a significant resource to Missoula in ensuring that there is access to dignified, safe housing for families who need it most.
Missoula Coordinated Entry System: This system was created in 2017 in an effort to better leverage the array of homelessness and housing resources throughout Missoula. As of April 2021, there are 38 agencies throughout Missoula signed on to this system as either an access point or partner agency responsible for directly serving or providing supportive services to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Representatives from all of the agencies correspond regularly to coordinate services for individuals entering the system and ensure resources are going to community members with the greatest need. Part of MCES is the By-Name-List, which is an identified list of the individuals in Missoula experiencing homeless. Dozens of case workers from across the community come together weekly to review this list and plan case coordination for each of these people individually.
At-Risk Housing Coalition: This group comprises multiple agencies throughout Missoula County working to support people who are at risk or are experiencing homelessness. This membership includes assisting with the coordination of the annual Project Community Connect event and facilitating a service area that helps individuals with the cost of obtaining Montana state identification cards, driver licenses and birth certificates and out-of-state birth certificates.
Homeword landlord liaison: This position leads community-wide efforts to effectively market Missoula housing support programs to new and existing landlords and property managers, with the goal of expanding the number of units available to those facing barriers, such as little to no rental history. The liaison identifies permanent housing units in the rental market throughout Missoula, develops partnerships with landlords to overcome barriers that prevent participating households from obtaining permanent housing, and works closely with other community partners to ensure participants can access and sustain housing.
FUSE program manager at PHC: The FUSE program manager at Partnership Health Center works with the City of Missoula and the Missoula Coordinated Entry System. FUSE, which stands for Frequent Users of System Engagement, is a housing-first model that identifies individuals who are frequent users of crisis services (i.e., jail, shelter, emergency room, etc.) and provides permanent supportive housing to these individuals. This means their housing is affordable and tenants have access to services to assist them. It significantly reduces the costly revolving door of accessing crisis services. PHC participates in the model because supportive housing is an evidence-based solution that leads to better health and quality of life for people experiencing homelessness.
Housing navigator at PHC: This position at Partnership Health Center supports the Missoula Coordinated Entry System and works alongside several community partners dedicated to ending chronic homelessness in Missoula. The housing navigator provides support to individuals who have been paired with a housing resource, such as a permanent supportive housing voucher, and who need help navigating the housing search process from start to finish. The housing navigator works to eliminate barriers and provide advocacy for the individuals they serve, ensuring they can secure and maintain housing.
Housing retention specialist at Poverello Center: This position at the Poverello Center supports the Missoula Coordinated Entry System to ensure that individuals entering permanent supportive housing are successful in their housing situation. Entering secure housing after living outdoors or in unstable situations can be a challenging adjustment. The housing retention specialist helps individuals make that transition and maintain access to supportive services as continued needs arise, whether that means gaining access to a standard home appliance like a vacuum, finding transportation to medical appointments, or learning how to be a reliable tenant. This role is critical to helping individuals stay in their housing situations and avoid falling back into the system of homelessness crisis response.
Continuum of Care funding: Missoula County works with YWCA Missoula to secure annual Continuum of Care funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide rental assistance and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness. The YWCA is able to support up to 50 families each year with rental assistance. Missoula County is a member of the statewide Continuum of Care, which strives to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness across that state.
Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) & Coordinated Outreach Team (COT): HOT is a team of staff run through the Poverello Center whose primary responsibility is to build relationships and trust with community members experiencing homelessness, with the ultimate goal of helping connect them to resources and find stable housing. These staff spend many hours a week in the field visiting individuals in the spaces throughout Missoula where they’re living and are a primary bridge to services and to the Missoula Coordinated Entry System. HOT is part of the Coordinated Outreach Team (COT), which is the umbrella coalition for all homelessness outreach workers in Missoula working together to coordinate field visits and response.
The goal is for the TSOS to minimally affect the surrounding property owners, if at all. Hope Rescue Mission fully staffs and operates the shelter 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide a more structured environment and more resources than the current unregulated encampment near Reserve Street, which has posed environmental, health and safety hazards.
The on-site manager addresses any safety concerns that arise, as well as trash removal and other sanitation and wellness services. These measures help minimize the impact on neighboring landowners, and organizers quickly addressing any issues that do arise. Call 9-1-1 though to report a crime or medical emergency in progress.
This site is staffed by Hope Rescue Mission 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An on-site manager addressed any safety concerns that arise. Call 9-1-1 though to report a crime or medical emergency in progress.
Organizations or individuals wishing to assist with Missoula TSOS should call April Seat, Director of Outreach at Hope Rescue Mission, at 760-628-4875 or Ashley Corbally, TSOS Program Coordinator, at 406-396-3653.
TSOS partners greatly appreciate donations and ask that you email the TSOS at tsos@hopemontana.org if you are interested in donating. Please do not bring donations to the TSOS site. Items that are most helpful at this time include $10 Visa gift cards, sunscreen and $20 pre-paid laundry cards. Financial donations to Hope Rescue Mission for ongoing operational needs are also greatly appreciated. Financial donations can be made online at www.hopemontana.org, by check or by texting STAYSAFE to 41444.
TSOS partners greatly appreciate donations and ask that you email the TSOS at tsos@hopemontana.org if you are interested in donating. Please do not bring donations to the TSOS site. Items that are most helpful at this time include $10 Visa gift cards, sunscreen and $20 pre-paid laundry cards. Financial donations to Hope Rescue Mission for ongoing operational needs are also greatly appreciated. Small items for donations may be dropped off at Hope Thrift Boutique at 702 SW Higgins Ave. Financial donations can be made online at www.hopemontana.org, by check or by texting STAYSAFE to 41444.
United Way: Eric Levgold, Director of Impact, eric@missoulaunitedway.org
Hope Rescue Mission: tsos@hopemontana.org
Missoula County: Commissioners’ Office, bcc@missoulacounty.us, 406-258-4877.
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