homeless in the parks but no place to go Public Comment from B. Bradford FenchakAimee Brunckhorst
From: e-mail <ckfeedflathead@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 11:34 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL homeless in the parks but no place to go
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ABBEY SHELTER IS FULL
A RAY OF HOPE HAS A WAITING LIST.
NO DAY DROP -IN CENTERSHH! Sunburst Mental Health had to close their drop -in center last year. Currently
we have no drop -in centers where homeless individuals can go to be out of the weather and/or access
services. That puts more pressure on the library and downtown Kalispell.
A drop in center is a critical need. With no place to go some homeless people become everyone's problem.
A day center might make it easier on KPD and city businesses and streets.
A mandatory monitored tent camp could provide the only place in town that people could set up camp at.
Something possibly run by churches or service clubs?
Can offenders be required to work fines off? 37 years ago Lincoln county required indigent people who had fines to
work off their fines under supervision.
Grants or funds from the state could be a source of funding.
Thank you for being willing to study the current problem and the roots of the homeless issue here! I listened online and
was impressed with the time you all took. There were too many people and too many triggers for an asthma attack so I
went home. B. Bradford Fenchak.
A few facts i gathered
The pandemic increased homelessness.
https:/www.dw.com
Homelessness increased after the Fairbridge Inn evicted 100 people. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-
states/ montana/ articles /2022-01-30/kalispell-hotel-sale-displacing-100-extended-stav-residents
Adding to homelessness was the closure of the Blue and White Motel for remodeling.
The pandemic increased mental health and self medication issues. https://www.bc.edu/bc-
web/bcnews/campus-community/faculty/anxiety-and-stress-spike-durinp,-pandemic.html
Mental health and addiction treatment programs that provide supportive housing are underfunded or
nonexistent.
Our rental rates are high with limited availability
https: / /www.zi[low.com/rental-manager/market-trends/katispell-mt/
Rents in Montana raised well over the national average at 11.07% 2020 to 2921
https://ipropertymanapement.com/research/average rent increase per year#states 2020 to 2021
Owners of rental properties have raised rents beyond many people's income or sold homes out from under
long time renters.
A Ray of Hope,Abbie Shelter CAPNWMT, Flathead Warming Center, PATH, Samaritan House are challenged to
find housing for the people they serve.
Limited funds for the above, mental health and addiction treatment limit how much can be done by workers
at all these organizations. 1 formerly homeless person was housed today
We are an aging population
https://khn.orp/news/ article/ homelessness -older -people -seniors -inflation -housing -crunch/ November 10,
2022
Of people age 65+ 33.4% are disabled, 19.977 are in poverty, 95.3% are either on Social Security or SSI
benifits , of those 46.3 % have some sort of retiremet income. That leaves 39% with only Social Security
income .https://data. census. Pov/table?q=S0103&tp=0500000US30029
46% of our homeless people are disabled