Poverello Center Expects Increase In Missoula Homelessness Soon

The pandemic has been difficult on a lot of people, and we've seen that reflected in the homeless population nationwide - many people have been unable to afford rent or have lost their jobs, and as a result, have found themselves homeless.

That's meant a lot of extra work for the Poverello Center in Missoula, who can't house as many people because of their attempts to social distance. And now, Congress let a moratorium on evictions expire over the weekend - which means the Poverello Center is expecting the homelessness situation to only get worse in the coming weeks and months.

They're already planning ahead for the winter - this past year, they opened up an emergency winter shelter, and right now, the city is asking for help from the community to find a property that could be leased for them to open another one. The efforts are still ongoing, but in theory, it could assist with a few key problems, like providing a place to camp legally outdoors and increasing opportunities for transitional housing.

The economic impact of the pandemic is still being felt, and will likely continue to be for a long time after the pandemic is finally over, in ways we may not even fully realize. Hopefully, the people at the Poverello Center are able to do what they can to the best of their ability and help out as many people as possible.