This month’s blog is written by Sophia Shrom, Homeless Outreach Team member.
As a long-time member of the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), I’ve had the unique opportunity to see Missoula through a different lens: one shaped by daily, on-the-ground outreach and genuine relationships with our most vulnerable neighbors. These individuals are more than the faces we pass on the street — they become friends. By listening to their stories, I better understand what they need most and how we can help.
Since August of last year, I’ve served as the HOT Team’s Housing Navigator. Along with daily outreach, I carry a small but critical caseload — typically five individuals each year — who are chronically homeless and face steep barriers to housing. Many have no income, no credit, and live with serious health issues. For them, housing doesn’t just seem difficult — it can feel impossible.
Housing navigation means far more than filling out applications. It involves securing funding for fees, working with landlords willing to give someone a second chance, and finding creative solutions when the odds are stacked against them.
Just this spring, we helped a man who had been unhoused in Missoula since 2012. Despite many attempts over the years, he kept hitting roadblocks. This year, with our support, he submitted an application accompanied by letters of recommendation from community partners that affirmed his reliability and commitment. For the first time in over a decade, he now has a safe, stable place to call home, thanks to a community that believed in him and a team that never gave up.
With the Johnson Street Shelter scheduled to close in August, the demand for HOT’s services is growing fast. We’re having twice as many housing conversations and helping secure nearly double the number of vital documents as last year. The Housing Sprint — backed by the City of Missoula — has made a real difference, funding application fees, double deposits, and even transportation to reunite people with family.
But solving Missoula’s housing crisis takes sustained, dedicated support. Sprints bring quick wins, but marathons ensure the work lasts. That’s why the Homeless Outreach Team and the Poverello Center continue to work hard every day, meeting people where they are and providing the essential resources that can propel them forward.
I’ve been on the team for nearly two years, and I have learned so much about what it takes to help our neighbors in need. Most of the time, we can provide a sack lunch, a bandage, or survival gear – just enough to get through the day. But what really makes a difference are the relationships and trust we build over time that allow us to make lasting change.