City of Kalispell and Flathead County Homelessness Public Comment from Judy MundellDear Mr. Mayor and City Council Members,
I know most of you are likely aware of the homeless problem in Kalispell. I was a long time resident of the Valley and moved away to Georgia for six years. The homelessness issue in
Georgia is on par with here, which surprises me, since there are approximately 3.2 times as many citizens in greater Savannah than there are here. When I left here in 2018 I didn't
notice any homeless, but according to the Montana Free Press, there were an average 234 homeless people living in Kalispell during that time. Compare that with Savannah, GA who just
published the latest data April 25, 2024 at 579 homeless and something isn't quite right. Of Savannah's homeless, approximately 129 of them are veterans. How many of these 234 here
are veterans? The majority of the 'homeless' I saw on at interchanges there were young, able bodied individuals. Less than 1% appeared to need mental health assistance. Many had nicer
clothing than me and sometimes I would watch them fighting over which corner they got to stand on. Some would simply put on their signs "Need drugs, why lie." This ratio is 2 per
1,000 individuals in Kalispell are homeless versus 1.4 per 1,000 in Savannah. They have nicer weather, more job opportunities and yet less homelessness?
Our economy is in terrible shape and housing costs are outrageous. But does that mean we should aid and abet those who actually could work? Isn't that what we give tax free status to
our local community churches for? So, they can support those in need. This is a lifestyle choice for many individuals. See this article on WikiHow which gives step by step instructions
on how to make a living as a panhandler and tactics to earn more money while doing so. There are also numerous how-to videos on YouTube which explain in depth how to be an effective
panhandler.
https://www.wikihow.com/Panhandle <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wikihow.com%2FPanhandle&data=05%7C02%7Cabrunckhorst%40kalispell.com%7Cd52f80ff9c2c45018d0508dc
688af0c1%7C6219d736f71146359cbaff616a81b398%7C1%7C0%7C638500193164576703%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=KFwUEtxej1YUlP2R
qC3pQlkGTJqHYsskjsoXdxQgbFA%3D&reserved=0>
I believe many of these people could work but don't want to. Our hand outs support their free-from-adulthood lifestyle. If we want to end homelessness in Kalispell, creating a large
shelter is not the answer. In fact, I suspect it will only add to the problem of homelessness in the area. As it will function as a beacon to more homeless. This person Chris Krager,
the Executive Director of the Samaritan House, who has just been given another $750,000 grant from the MT Department of Commerce, bringing him to within 50% of his $16.9 million dollar
goal toward building a tax free, non-profit shelter here, is a large part of the problem. I have a very hard time believing these kinds of places are helping people get off handouts.
If that were the case, wouldn't the number of homeless be going down? I am further in disbelief that this property needs $16.9 million dollars worth of grant money to build a new facility.
That's absolutely outrageous. Does anyone know anything about this Chris Krager? Where is he from? What is his background? How much of this non-profit actually pays his salary and what
is his salary. I'll bet it is substantially more than mine.
I have first hand experience with this issue. I can assure you, if these individuals wanted a hand up not a hand out, they would not be standing on the corner with a sign, they'd be
looking for a room to rent and trying to get a job. Why is it that many City council members feel these folks don't have to earn their place in society, it should just be given to them?
So, if you want to live in the beautiful Flathead Valley, without family who can support you, or a job, just panhandle every day and get free rent and meals every night. Pretty sweet
lifestyle for a few hours of work on the corner. Here's another article on the estimated amount panhandlers make.
https://homelessadvice.com/how-much-do-panhandlers-make-html/ <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhomelessadvice.com%2Fhow-much-do-panhandlers-make-html%2F&data=05%7C02
%7Cabrunckhorst%40kalispell.com%7Cd52f80ff9c2c45018d0508dc688af0c1%7C6219d736f71146359cbaff616a81b398%7C1%7C0%7C638500193164587335%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6
Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rCVRtz2SyYimQdFlBQHRKbDj3w0tpKfSfc%2BQ7EtSrc4%3D&reserved=0>
This is not the way to assist people who need help. If you want to help them, then don't ask them what they want, tell them what they need to do to achieve their goals. If housing is
what they need, unless there are a number of them willing to live in the same apartment, they will have to move to another location where the rent is more affordable. Taxing the local
residents, some to the point they have to sell their homes because they can't afford the taxes, is counterintuitive. Why would Council members want a thriving population of unproductive
homeless persons to support, instead of a thriving population of entrepreneurs. I think the priorities for many individuals are confused by their own guilt and shame. We should all
be thinking of ways to bring good paying jobs here, not make it a haven for homeless.
You need to be finding ways to reduce the tax burden on the residents of the Flathead Valley, so the rents will come down. Wages for the most part have increased to the point where many
could support themselves if the rent wasn't so outrageous. Start charging these people to stay at these homeless resorts after a week and see how many of them return. Stop funding facilities
like the Samaritan House and let it survive on handouts from the multiple billionaires and millionaires who just moved in, instead of forcing the local residents who are barely getting
by to pay more in taxes. The fact these people don't have a place to stay is not my fault. I earn my money, I pay my bills, I balance my budget and I don't expect a handout.
Please consider moving these individuals out of our communities instead of finding ways to give them more free stuff.
Sincerely,
Judy Mundell
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